The Shadehand Compass (Old)
by Electronic Ink 0
Summary: When Link drags a half-dead girl into the woods, he realises that the girl holds the key to destroying all of Hyrule. When she tears him from his home to get the key back, she throws him head-first into a journey that will span years and alternate dimensions. He can only watch as children become murderers, old women become warriors, queens become thieves and he becomes a legend. AU
1. Prologue

Prologue

_Impa had always protected the princess._

_As the carriage rattled on over the sandy ground, the Sheikah woman let her scarlet eyes settle on the young heir to the Hylian throne, innocently asleep against the window. Her mouth was slightly open, and she made an incomprehensible sound. Who knew what she was dreaming? Impa knew better than anyone that only a fool interrupted the princess' dreams. The thin fingers with their painted nails closed tighter on the flat, wide box in the girl's lap, admittedly not the most inconspicuous of concealments; a garish blue embellished with golden clasps and the crest of the royal family._

_As the carriage went over another large bump, Impa grabbed her naginata's handle, stopping the weapon from sliding off of her lap. The polishing cloth that Impa had been using moments before fell to the floor, and Impa muttered a hushed curse in Kenshika as she stooped to retrieve it. When she straightened, the princess' eyes were open and looking right at her._

_"Good evening, my dear," Impa said fondly, snapping her fingers. The naginata dissolved into shadows, melting into the angular shapes cast by the edges of the windows. The soft lavender light marked Impa's favourite time of day; the time between light and shadow, when she could almost feel someone sitting beside her and watching the sunset with her. The life of a Sheikah was a lonely one. Not many still lived: she knew of only three others. Four, if she counted the king's old guardian, her predecessor, who had died many years before. _

_"Impa," the princess said._

_"Yes, Zelda?" Impa looked into Zelda's blue eyes._

_"How long until we get there?"_

_"There will be another hour yet, at least, provided we are not stopped."_

_Zelda sighed. "I'll go back to sleep then, I suppose," she said, closing her eyes and curling into the window, the box in between the side of the carriage and her legs. Impa nodded and looked out the window once again, the sky turning navy blue over the dusty landscape. A Wolfos poked its head out of a den, and Impa watched as her cubs followed her into the night air._

_"Impa," Zelda said suddenly. Impa flinched and went to manifest her naginata before realising that Zelda appeared calm. "You okay?"_

_"Yes, my dear," sighed Impa. "You startled me, that is all. What is it, Zelda?"_

_"I can't sleep. Will you sing to me?"_

_Impa smiled softly. She had never considered herself a good singer, but Zelda had always loved her voice. _

_"Of course, Zelda."_

_She paused for a moment to remember the words._

_"Go to sleep, rest upon your bed,_

_May this night bring dreams to your head_

_Hear my voice, never let it die,_

_Keep this lullaby_

_Soon the sun shall set on,_

_Long it will be till dawn,_

_Never from you will I be gone_

_Carry on, rid this world of fear,_

_Now the time is near, peace will soon reign here..."_

_By the time the Sheikah had finished the lullaby, Zelda had once again fallen asleep. Impa leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes._

_/\\_|(O)|_/\\_

_"We're here," the driver called through the wall. Impa sat up with a start, looking around. Zelda was mumbling in her sleep again; something about gemstones. Impa placed a hand on the princess' shoulder._

_"Zelda, my dear, we've arrived."_

_Zelda sleepily opened her eyes, stretching with a whine. Impa smiled before manifesting her naginata, the leather-wrapped shaft settling into her hands. _

_"I will be back in a moment. Stay here; I need to check if it's safe."_

_Impa opened the door and slipped out, latching the wooden door closed again and moving closer to the monument a short distance from the carriage. A worn and battered statue with a chipped beard and a missing arm marked the place. A forgotten hero, or perhaps an old king of an ancient race long extinct. Even in her extensive lessons on Hyrule's history, Impa had never encountered this man. She placed her hand on the pedestal below the man, and whispered the words she had learned._

_"In the pool, you softly slumber, what you're dreaming of, I wonder. Hear this song, awake your sleeping, do you have what I've been seeking?"_

_The statue shivered and looked down at Impa with a sound like rocks sliding over one another._

_"You hath knowledge of the ancient words, being of shadows," he said in a whispering voice. Impa tightened her grip on the naginata. Even statues might have a grudge against the Shadow Folk. Most did._

_"I am Impa of the Sheikah," she said formally, "and I bring a sacred relic for hiding under your care. Would you accept this relic?"_

_The statue's gritty face slowly moved into a smile._

_"I can feel the power thy child holds in her hands," he whispered. "and my queen would be glad to accept it. Go, retrieve the child."_

_Impa turned towards the carriage and whistled the six notes she had taught Zelda, and the princess came scurrying out of the carriage, box held firmly. She stopped beside Impa._

_"A talking statue," she said in astonishment. "Our statues don't do that."_

_"I should think not, my lady," the statue laughed, and it sounded like stones breaking. "Enter, young goddess, and lay thy magicks to rest."_

_The statue lifted his one arm, holding a marble blade, and drove it into his own pedestal. The stone split open and revealed a staircase leading downwards. A single wildfairy fluttered out of the gap._

_"Come, Zelda," Impa said, grasping the princess' hand and leading her down the staircase. Though she had read that she should be able to hear music, Impa could hear no sounds except the trickling of water. Despite her doubts, Impa began singing, as was the way to summon the guardian of the fountain._

_"Do you see me in the distance? Can you hear me plea assistance?_

_Send an angel, grant your power, save me in my darkest hour…"_

_As soon as they reached the bottom of the Impa knew that something was wrong. In the middle of the pool was the body of a woman, wearing no clothing except tall leather boots, and with red hair fanning out from her face. Her face was painted brightly but her eyes were completely transparent, offering a disconcerting view into the back of her head. Silver liquid stained the fountain's water and the woman's chest. Tattered wings had lost their glow, no more beautiful than the wings of a mosquito._

_Impa lifted her naginata and shrugged her half-cape back off her shoulder._

_"Zelda, get out of here," she said slowly, controlling her voice. Zelda was staring at the Great Fairy in the fountain._

_"Impa," she said nervously, "what's wrong with the Great Fairy?"_

_"Zelda," said Impa again. "you need to go."_

_Zelda's eyes widened in realisation and she turned to flee just as the first monster hurtled out of the shadows. The princess screamed and Impa swung the naginata, slicing the Lizalfos from shoulder to hip. Another three keened and lunged forwards; Impa impaled another and quickly realised that Zelda was still not fleeing. Beheading the Lizalfos blocking the exit, the Sheikah cried out "Run!"_

_Zelda almost made it before a Lizalfos brought down a hail of boulders from the ceiling, collapsing the entrance. For the first time, Impa felt despair. She manifested a Sheikan knife from the shadows, hurling it into the eye of another Lizalfos. Looking around, she realised there were Lizalfos simply _everywhere. _At least a hundred of them, all emerging from the darkness and wailing their high-pitched noises. _

_It wasn't long before the fairy blood in the fountain was joined by that of Sheikah. A set of savage claw marks had scored their way straight down her right arm, splitting her tattoos down the middle and staining the wrist wrapping red. _

_They were going to lose. Impa stepped backwards and then a Lizalfos recoiled as something struck it on the snout. Who else was in here? Impa's foot landed in the fountain just as Zelda screamed in fear._

_"Zelda!" Impa yelled, turning, naginata in one hand. The beginnings of tears were forming in her eyes; she had failed in her task. A Lizalfos savagely bit her shoulder, and another sunk its teeth into her wrist._

_And then her muscles locked up, and she could no longer move her fingers. She didn't even manage to look down before her arms froze entirely, the Lizalfos venom working insanely fast, faster than anything she had heard of before. Only magic could have worked this fast. _

_The tear just had time to slip free before Impa of the Sheikah turned to stone._


	2. In Which I Apparently Doom the Universe

**CHAPTER ONE**

**IN WHICH I APPARENTLY DOOM THE UNIVERSE**

It was a dark and stormy night.

Okay, no, it was actually quite bright and sunny, not to mention the middle of the day, but the first line describes my feelings better. I glance across to the girl nestled in the pile of leaves again, and then look helplessly at Saria.

"Don't look at me," she shrugs, mirroring my feelings. "You're the idiot who left the forest,"

"It was for, like, an hour, okay!" I protest. "Nothing happened!"

Saria raises an eyebrow. "You say while looking at the half-dead Hylian you dragged in knowing full well other races never live long in the Lost Woods."

Owch. That's a low blow, Saria.

"Link had nay other choice, Saria," the Deku Tree says solemnly, stepping in before I can respond with an equally snappy retort. "Whence else could he take her? He knows nay other place of safety but this forest. 'Tis too late for anything anon, mine child. "

I take a closer look at the girl causing this whole mess. She looks as thin as a Stalfos half-buried in the leaves; I didn't think it would be respectful to come dragging a bed into the Deku Tree's meadow. A mess of blonde hair is fanned out around her face, an abundance of sparkly little metal pieces knotted in. She looks so… _foreign _that a small part of my mind keeps asking what the heck she's doing here. One of the Deku Tree's thinner roots curls upwards out of the ground looking exactly like a wooden tentacle. It pauses to shake off soil, then loops gently around the golden instrument the girl had refused to let fall when I found her, even when she fainted. The Deku Tree lifts the harp up to his face, his enormous brows furrowing as he looks the harp over.

"It's just a harp, Deku Tree," Saria tells him. "I looked it over. She must be high-up, whoever she is. It looks like it costs a fortune."

The Deku Tree takes a long time to answer, and when he does, he talks in his Incredibly-Slow-Filled-With-Awe voice. Or maybe it's his Incredibly-Slow-Oh-Hell-We're-All-Dead voice.

"The day this particular relic was sold for any amount of money would be the day Hyrule fell," he says softly, his root gently laying the harp next to the girl and returning to the earth. I roll my eyes. The day the Deku Tree says anything in plain Hylian _I'll_ fall- over dead in shock.

_Can you translate that for kids? _I mutter crossly in my head, although I don't voice it.

"What do you mean?" Saria asks politely- a much more ladylike version of my question.

"This girl needs to be kept safe, hither." he says. "Find her some of thy clothing; hide away her valuables. She wilt stay in the forest."The Deku Tree's cryptic comments are getting on my nerves. "Why?" I ask, despite myself.

The Deku Tree, with his hollow eyes, gives me the kind of look that slices through a person like an arrow.

"Because thou, Link, hast either doomed or saved Hyrule by bringing this woman hither,"

'Woman'. He said woman this time. What does that mean?

"What does that mean?" I say. I've doomed Hyrule? I prefer the 'saved' option. Do I get a choice? Is there, like, a questionnaire or something?

"You hast heard stories of the fighting, on Hyrule's borders? The men and women dying? The people of every race taking up arms?"

"What's that got to do with anything?" Saria asks, pausing. We try not to talk about it. I really don't like talking about it. But there he goes, talking about it.

The Deku Tree brushes the sleeping girl's cheek with a drooping, willow-like branch.

"This is who they're dying for," he says.

_/\\_|(O)|_/\\_

I'm having one of those nights where you lie awake and stare at the ceiling. Then you roll over and stare at the wall. And _then _you think, to hell with it, and try putting your pillow down the wrong end of the bed just to see if it will help you sleep. And then you roll over again and come face to face with the still-sleeping Hylian you rescued earlier in the day and _holy heck there's a Hylian in my tree-house_!

I've never actually seen a Hylian up close before. Was I a Hylian, when I was born? It's common knowledge I wasn't born Kokiri. I was one of those unfortunates who somehow ended up in the Lost Woods as a baby, and then ended up under the care of the Deku Tree. The magic in the forest is strange. It's in the air, the water, the songs the Skull Kids pipe through the trees. And each does something different to different people. It could have been worse; I could have been stuck as a Skull Kid for the rest of my life.

I look at the girl, newly dressed in Kokiri green, with a pale pink wildfairy draped sleepily over her wrist. Saria did the dressing while I waited awkwardly outside; only to be beckoned in to help get the metal clips out of the girl's hair. A few ended up so hopelessly knotted in that we had to use a stone fruit knife to cut them out. She has strange metal loops in her ears and I grimace. They're actually going _through _her ears- how disgusting! I wonder if it hurt at all. What is it with these people and metal? It just looks silly. The other Kokiri will pick it up straightaway- how can I fix that, make it look less silly? I look around, squinting in the dark and groping around on the table beside my bed. My fingers come to rest on a small pile of tiny heather flowers Navi- my brand-new fairy- had collected. She said I smelt like a boy. Funny that. I pick one up and wonder briefly if there's any way to get them onto the metal loops. The movement of me leaning forward wakes Navi, and she shoves her way out from under my hat to light the room with her gentle blue glow.

"Whaaaaat are you dooooiing?" my new fairy yawns loudly, landing on my nose. I brush her off.

"Trying to stop this girl's ears looking dumb," I answer, fiddling with the ring. I flinch as it suddenly clicks apart in my fingers.

"You broke it, stupid," Navi mutters. I glare at her and gently pull on the ring to examine it, making a face as it slides out of the Hylian's earlobe. "That's disgusting," Navi says, sounding nauseated.

"You're telling me," I hiss back, then sigh with relief as I realise there's a little catch on the ring designed to open and close it. So I didn't break them or anything. Maybe I could just take them out? No, then she would have great big holes in her ears. Instead, I put the pointy bit of the now-open ring through the centre of some of the little flowers.

"Are those my flowers?" Navi asks.

"Yep," I mutter, sticking out my tongue as I attempt to put the loop back where it came from. Navi clicks her tongue. The sound, even though Navi's only been around for a month, is irritatingly familiar.

"Give it here," she says, taking the ring and fluttering onto the girl's neck. I leave her to it and try to replicate the open-y thing with the other loop. After a few seconds it too clicks open and I slide more heather onto it. It's kind of pretty now, I suppose, but I still don't see the attraction to having metal stuck through your ears. Ew.

"Aren't you tired now?" Navi asks once she finishes putting the second ring back in. "I sure am. Why don't you go to sleep? Make sure you put the rest of that heather back."

I sweep the heather back onto the table and lean back on my pillow. I don't know if I am or aren't tired. Navi lifts up the edge of my hat and wriggles back underneath, her wings tickling my pointed ears.

I guess I must have been tired, because I fell asleep there and then, with my pillow still down the wrong end of my bed.

I wake up to the gleeful voice of Mido yelling from the bottom of the ladder.

"Hey, Mr. No-Fairy!" he yells, reverting back to his taunting nickname from a month ago, before Navi came to me. It was an embarrassingly long time before I finally got my own fairy; at times I would end up hiding from Mido just to avoid his taunts. I groan. Here we go. "Is it true you kidnapped a Hylian?" he yells up at me.

Oh, heck. I answer with the first thing that comes into my mind.

"No!" I yell down.

"I don't believe you!" Mido responds. "I'm coming up to check!"

_Oh no, oh no, _I think desperately. What do I do? I can't let him see the girl. Navi suddenly lifts off my shoulder and zooms out the door, and even from here I can hear her tiny voice shrieking "No you will not! Who said he's dressed?"

Navi and I. It's a love-hate relationship.

There are a few groans and a yelp of surprise from Mido on the ladder, then the hurried sound of someone going _down _the ladder. I guess even the great Mido has his limits. Navi flutters back in looking smug, and I glare at her.

"'Who said he's dressed'?" I ask sceptically. "You couldn't think of any other reason?"

"I had about two seconds," Navi snaps. "Like you could do better."

"What are we going to do with her, Navi?" I sigh, looking at the girl on the bed. I'm relieved she didn't morph into a Skull Kid overnight- or worse, a Stalfos. If she had, I probably wouldn't have woken up at all.

"Link!" another tiny voice chimes from behind me. I jump and whirl around to see Kiri, Saria's fairy, bobbing up and down in the air.

"Kiri! Don't _do _that!" I snap, still feeling a little skittish. She laughs, her voice sounding like the chiming of small bells.

"What, did I scare you?" she smiles, her translucent wings fluttering cheerily. "Saria sent me to tell you the Deku Tree wants to see you."

"How do I get out without Mido seeing me?" I ask. Kiri grins, her tiny eyes lighting up mischievously.

"Same way Mido used to sneak in," she says. "The Mido Door."

At one point Mido got in the habit of sneaking into my house to throw stuff around and steal my rupees. It got so bad Saria and I started calling the window the Mido Door and blocked it up with shelves. Eventually the Great Deku Tree stepped in –metaphorically- and told Mido off, which was a relief. I put my boot up on the edge of the window and grab onto the bark of my house itself, climbing down it with an ease born of years' worth of experience fleeing Mido. Navi shakes her head and flutters back in through the window to deter Mido should he try to get to the Hylian girl. I duck behind a row of shrubs to make my way to the meadow, Kiri fluttering behind me and occasionally chiming a greeting to another Kokiri.

I find Saria waiting beside the narrow passage into the Deku Tree's meadow, plaiting vines into a braid-like strand and whistling a tune. Because I know she would have been the one who told Kiri to scare me, I get her back by blowing in her ear. She doesn't even flinch.

"Hey, Link. Come on, the Deku Tree is waiting."

She drapes the braid over a stone and turns towards the passage, looking back to make sure I'm following- which I am. Quickly, in fact. I'm quite anxious to find out what on _earth _I am meant to do with this girl. In retrospect, it was probably a _really _bad idea to drag a Hylian into the woods. At the time, I wasn't really thinking of the consequences, my thought pattern was more along the lines of _oh my gods I am going to die if I don't run NOW._

The expression on the Deku Tree's face isn't a happy one and I stop. That doesn't bode well at all- at least, not for me. I think Saria wouldn't mind if the Hylian girl was kicked out of the woods- is that strange? Is it a girl thing, or what?

"Link," the Deku Tree booms. I silently cross my fingers. _Please don't get mad_, I think desperately. "The Kokiri Forest hath long stood as a barrier between Hyrule and the armies to the south. As of yet, we hast remained a safe haven. We keep aroint from the fighting and, in turn, the fighting keeps aroint from us. 'Tis understood that the inhabitants of these sacred woods art dram moo than children, and all wot that the murder of children is an abomination."

I don't see what this has to do with me, but if the Deku Tree is talking about the border wars then I've affected them. And if I've affected them then I am so dead.

"The war is being fought on two fronts. To our south is the Kingdom of Ikana, and to our west is the kingdom of Holodrum. Ikana is striking both from its own kingdom and Holodrum; their king, Gustaf, made a deal with the leader of the Ikanan armies allowing them to fight from Holodrum soil in return for Holodrum's safety."

"Why, though?" I ask. "Why would Holo-whatsit let the army in?"

"In return for his subjects' safety, the King of Holodrum would doth anything," the Great Deku Tree sighs. "His motivation is admirable, but means more danger for us here in Hyrule. This war is over something that is but of legend, yet must exist or else we would not be here.

"I am speaking of the Triforce of Legend."

_What?_ I think.

"What?" I say.

The Deku Tree sighs, as he always does when I've apparently asked a stupid question.

"I shall start from the beginning," he says in his deep voice.

_"In the beginning, thither was nothing. Nothing existed at all- except the three goddesses. These three goddesses cast their eyes down and wondered what they couldst make with their talents. Thither was Din, of Power, whose strength arms every warrior in war. Thither was Nayru, of Wisdom, whose knowledge shields the wise from harm. And thither was Farore, of Courage, whose willpower keeps the lowly going when life hath lost its allure. _

_"These three descended from the heavens and looked across the bleak expanse of what was then the world, and then Din began. With her strong, flaming arms, she created the red earth and stones; without Din, the earth would not be. She sculpted the stones into a shape that pleased her, and was the first to walk on the solid ground. _

_"Nayru, with her great knowledge, carved into existence the laws that govern the ordinary. She made it so that thither would be none who would seek to change their creation in dark ways; but also that thither would be none to endanger themselves with unstable powers. _

_"Farore, with her righteous heart, poured her spirit onto the earth, and from it rose the life that would uphold the law. To maintain the earth, the three goddesses sent down their daughter Hylia, the White Goddess; she created her own race, the humans, in her parent's images. Hylia became the mother of all life in the five lands. _

_"With their task completed, the three goddesses retreated to the heavens to watch their creation grow. At the place whence they left the world, a symbol of their power was left, a gift to any brave and clever and strong enough to reach it. Three triangles, forged in the metal of the gods, that had the power to bestow upon its holder the powers of its creators along with one wish that couldst completely rearrange how the ordinary was made; yet the goddesses wast confident that only one with a righteous heart couldst touch it. 'Twas called the Triforce._

_ "However, as time moved on, they saw their creations beginning to fight, killing each other in the desire of reaching the sacred pyrite symbol. At first the White Goddess protected it, but through some occurrence her charm was lost and she died. 'Twas for the good of the world when the Golden Goddesses formed the Sacred Realm around the Triforce, separating it from the five kingdoms forever. "_

I blink. I just kind of assumed the world had always been here. I mean, everyone knows the story of Hylia, but these three? We were all created by a trio of goddesses. It's a little hard to swallow- three magical women made the entirety of Hyrule? Yet the names seem to register as if I had always known them.

"Makes sense," Saria pokes me. "Male gods would be too stupid to make a world."

I frown at her, then at the Deku Tree.

"So, what's the Trifey-whatsit got to do with the Hylian girl?" I ask, trying not to feel stupid.

The Deku Tree responds after a short pause.

"The harp she brought with her was once the Harp of Hylia, also called the Goddess of Two Faces. Legend tells 'twas a gift from Nayru to Hylia; made from the stones of the heavens, a way to call the Wisdom Goddess to her aid. Thither was another, according to legend, the Ocarina of Time, born when someone of great skill formed the essence of Time itself into the instrument, but that instrument hath been lost for centuries. The Harp of Hylia, on the other hand…"

"You're not saying…" I breathe, thinking of the golden harp the Hylian girl had held.

"Yes, Link. This girl possesses the Goddess Harp, which if found by the wrong person could endue Hyrule to its knees."

Saria looks at me.

"That would be bad," I say.


	3. In Which Mido is Stupid

Chapter 3: In Which Mido is Stupid

**CHAPTER TWO**

**IN WHICH MIDO IS STUPID**

"She's waking up!"

Saria lifts her head groggily from my table and looks at me, blinking bleary eyes. I wave her over, shove my ocarina back into my belt pouch, and stare down at the stirring Hylian. She opens her eyes slowly, blinking up at me, brilliant blue eyes unfocused.

Wow. Her eyes are really blue. As in, rival-the-sky blue. As in, oh my Light she's looking at me.

She blinks a few times more, then seems to register the two kids looming over her and sits up sharply, smacking her head into my jaw with a sharp crack. I stagger back and land on my butt, spots popping before my eyes. Saria lets out a small shriek and smacks the girl on the head in fright.

The girl whines in terror, scrambling backwards on the bed, falling off the other side and vanishing with a yelp.

"Ow," I groan, sitting up. Saria grabs my arm and hauls me up, blue eyes filled with concern.

"Are you okay?" she asks me.

"Fine as a daisy," I groan, getting my boots under me and standing up. "Joy of joys; I've rescued the killer-of-people's-faces.

The girl sticks her head up over the bed, eyes wide and staring.

"Go away! I'm armed!" she warns loudly.

I frown.

"No you're not," Saria sighs, brushing her fringe behind a pointed ear. "I checked."

She proves Saria wrong by hurtling over the bed with a discarded Deku stick in her hand and smacks me over the head. I land on my butt for the second time.

"What… the _heck_?" I say crossly, rubbing my head. "I didn't say anything! That was her!"

Saria gracefully grabs the stick, wrenches it free from the girl's hands and throws it out the window.

"Calm down, you," she tells the girl. "I'm ten, for gods' sake. I'm not going to kill you."

The girl seems to relax slightly, eyeing us apprehensively.

"Who are you? What is this place?" she asks nervously.

"M' name's Link," I introduce myself, "and this is Saria, as well as Navi and Kiri. Welcome to the Kokiri Forest."

She looks at us cautiously, then slowly extends a hand.

"Forest Folk, huh?" she says. "I'm Zelda. Nice to meet you… I think."

I stare at her hand.

"Er… nice hand?" Kiri offers. Zelda blinks.

"What?" she asks.

"Why are you showing us your hand?" I clarify. She looks bewildered.

"It's a handshake. You know, when you… shake hands? Like, when you meet someone for the first time?"

"Nope," says Saria. "Here in the forest, we do this," she continues, waving.

Zelda slowly withdraws her hand and copies the movement, then notices the wooden pendant around her own brow.

"What's this?" she asks, running her fingers over the band of soft green fabric, as if trying to get a sense of what it might be.

Saria runs her tongue over her lips.

"Yeah… about that. I kinda hid your clothes. I bought those ones in the store."

Zelda looks down, noticing the new clothes for the first time, and shrieks with outraged modesty.

"You _what?"_

"It's okay!" I say hurriedly. "I wasn't there! Just Saria! No guys or anything to see anything!"

She still doesn't look convinced, but moves on to her next question.

"How did I get here?" she asks. I bite my lip.

"That, miss Zelda," I say, "is a very long story…"

_/\\_|(O)|_/\\_

"So… I have to stay here?" Zelda says slowly, having recovered from the miniature freak-out she just had.

Saria nods as Navi lands comfortingly on Zelda's shoulder.

"It's for the best," the Kokiri says. "The Deku Tree says we have to keep you safe here."

"But… what about my family? And my caretaker?"

I frown, remembering the other woman I had glimpsed when I found Zelda. It had been too chaotic to even think about saving the adult with the enormous sword-staff thing… and surely she could defend herself? That sword had to be at least twice my height.

"They'll be alright," Navi chimes softly, braiding a bit of Zelda's hair. "The Deku Tree sent fairies to tell your father where you are and that you're okay."

"Ah-ha!" A voice from the doorway proclaims triumphantly. I whirl to see Mido. I hadn't even heard him climb up the ladder. "I knew it was true! You've crossed the line _this_ time, No-Fairy! The Deku Tree won't be happy that you've kidnapped a Hylian!"

Without even looking at Zelda or Saria, he scrambles back down and I hear him sprinting towards the Deku Tree's meadow.

Saria groans.

"Oh, no," she says. "The Deku Tree had hoped to wait to let the others find out about Zelda…"

Zelda tugs my sleeve. "Who was that?"

I frown and fiddle with my straw-coloured hair.

"Mido. He's kind of the reason I don't go out often."

"He's a rude little brat," Saria stomps a foot, "and I wish he would stop making the other Kokiri pull the weeds in front of my house. It's dumb and pointless."

Zelda nods in understanding.

"He's one of those, huh?" she says.

I watch Mido run away.

"Should we, you know, stop him or something?" I suggest.

Navi lands on my nose.

"It's pointless," she says. "He'll just tell everyone anyway."

"Still," says Saria, "we should go after him."

Zelda nods. "He sounds like the kind of guy I would want to punch."

"Tried that," I wince. "He punches back twice as hard."

"More like _you_ punch _back_ half as hard," Navi says cynically. I glare at her, while Zelda frowns.

"He… punches you first?" she asks.

I stay silent, and she scowls. "Now I really want to punch him."

"You seem to be the violent type," Kiri comments. Zelda grins.

"Nope. Just protective of the ten-year-old who apparently outran monsters."

I shrug. "All I really did was shoot a few in the face."

Saria scowls at me. "You shot at monsters…"

I wince. I hadn't told her. Oops. "Only a few."

She shakes her head. "You're hopeless, you are. Can't stay out of trouble for more than two seconds."

"Nope," I say innocently.

It's at this point I hear shouts from below.

"That would be the others finding out, wouldn't it." Kiri mutters. It's not a question, and soon there are Kokiri clustered underneath the ladder, starting to climb. Zelda grimaces and points at the ladder, and I yelp as suddenly the grass rope tying it up ignites. Within seconds the ladder is collapsing backwards, landing on the ground with a dull _thunk._

"How did you do that?" I ask, astonished.

She grins. "What, that? That was nothing," she lights a finger on fire and holds it out. I poke it cautiously. Here in the forest, we have limited experience with fire; I've only ever seen one torch, in Saria's secret meadow. I jump backwards as the fire singes my finger, sticking it in my mouth. Zelda raises an eyebrow.

"Why doesn't it burn _you_?" I moan around the wounded finger. Saria suddenly snarls at Zelda.

"Put that out, now!"

Zelda looks abashed and, shamefaced, lets the fire burn itself out.

I raise an eyebrow at Saria and she scowls. "Zelda, you don't just set stuff on fire, we're in a village made entirely of wood! Unless you want to kill us all, keep the fire to yourself!"

Zelda's brow creases slightly and she looks thoughtful. She opens her mouth to talk and closes it again as there is a thump from the other side of the room.

"What the hell was that?" Saria says, standing up. I join her and look out the window- and promptly get hit smack on the nose with a Deku nut.

"Ow!" I whine. This is _not _my day. Between Zelda the Destroyer of Heads, fire with a grudge and random flying Deku nuts, everything seems to want me dead.

"Your fault your nose is so big," Saria says. "It's practically a targ-_ow!_"

She's poked her head out the window and jerked backwards after she receives the same treatment. "Who the heck is doing that?" Zelda asks, joining us at the window. That's when three of the forest's finest vault over the windowsill and tackle us to the ground.

"Hey!" I protest as someone- I think it's Fado- wrenches my arm behind my back.

"Get _off!_" Saria kicks Somi, one of the Know-it-All Brothers, in the shins, and he yelps but keeps his grip. Mido saunters up to Zelda, who's again brandishing her Deku stick, before stopping. You can practically hear the violin music and see the stars in his eyes. He gently touches her arm.

"It's okay, beautiful," he says, and I growl. "We'll get you back home."

"Leave me alone! Let them go!" she yells.

Mido nods wisely. "It's okay. You're disorientated. That's understandable. Come, I'll take you to the Deku Tree."

He picks the wriggling Zelda up in a bear hug and climbs one-handed back out the window. Somi shakes his head as though disappointed.

"I knew you were weird, Link," he says, "but I didn't realise you were completely off the high bough,"

"I didn't kidnap her!" I snarl.

"Hee hee!" Fado giggles. "How did she get here, then? I can't blame you, she's quite the beauty. Didn't figure you would drop Saria so quickly though!"

I kick her knee.

She tips me out the window.

I land on my face.

_Ow._

Fado jumps down and lands on her feet beside me.

"See!" she says cheerfully, hauling me back up. "Don't kick people! It's mean!"

"Almost as mean as throwing them out windows?" I groan, getting my boots back under me.

"Yep!"

I think she missed the sarcasm.

Saria and Somi drop down beside us and then Fado's slung me over her shoulder. Damn, I hate being so short.

Navi's dive-bombing Fado's face, but Ciela, Fado's fairy, shoos the blue nymph away.

"Put me the freaking hell down!" Saria barks, punching Somi.

"I can see who wears the pants in this relationship," Fado says, walking towards the Deku Tree's meadow. "Except he cheated on her. Does the other girl also wear the pants?"

"Maybe he just swings that way," Somi suggests.

"I am _right frigging here, _you know!" I roar in her ear. She simply giggles.

"It explains the tunic," she laughs brightly.

_I want to punch you right now, _I think bitterly.

When we reach the Deku Tree's meadow, Saria and I are dumped roughly on the ground. Saria immediately swings a leg around and knocks Somi's feet out from under him. I roll over and look up at a furious Deku Tree. His branches are shaking so much that we're all being rained on with leaves.

"And what is this, children?" he asks slowly.

Mido puffs out his chest. "This is the girl Link kidnapped, Deku Tree," he says importantly. "I told you he did it."

"I wasn't kidnapped!" Zelda shrieks, getting an arm free and punching Mido. He rolls his eyes, and I stand up slowly.

"As you can see, she's a little disorientated," he explains.

"That's a big word for an _idiot_," Zelda shoots back.

The Deku Tree's bark is darkening, a sure-fire sign that someone is about to cop it.

"Link…" he says, obviously trying to keep his cool, "…did not kidnap anyone. I will _not _hast thou treating him in this manner!"

"Wha-? You believe _him_? If he didn't kidnap her, where did this Hylian come from?" Mido asks defensively.

"She came into the woods of her own accord," the Deku Tree says, "looking for her brother."

I blink. I didn't know the Deku Tree even _could_lie. I look at Saria, who shrugs.

And who's the 'brother'?

"Her… her brother?" Soti, Somi's brother steps back. "Who's that?"

"You accused him of kidnapping her about two minutes previously," the Deku Tree says.

Whoa…

WHOA.

_WHOA._

Wait a second, what? What the _actual_ hell? Why would he say that?

"That's his _sister?!_" shrieks the midget Timi, falling off his ever-present stilts.

"I can see the resemblance, actually," says the thoughtful Mila. "Look, they both have the same blue eyes, and blonde hair. She's just taller."

I hate being short.

"See!" Saria cries. "Now do you believe us?"

Mido drops Zelda's arm and she punches him again.

"Touch him _once more _and I will _personally _see you exiled," she threatens. Mido backs off.

Authority. Apparently I need some.

"Thou will treat her as thou would any other Kokiri," the Deku Tree warns. "She is one of mine children anon, regard her as such."

The Kokiri scatter in shame, a few dropping shame-faced apologies as they run past us.

"Deku Tree," I say, "what the _hell _was that?"

"Language, Link," he admonishes. I cringe. I'm always getting reprimanded for my language- I must have picked it up off Saria, we both swear way too much. Especially for eternal ten-year-olds. Then again, considering the 'eternal' part, at what point to we gain the right to swear? Never? That would suck.

"So, this is your 'sister', huh?" Saria looks at me, then at the Deku Tree with raised eyebrows.

"I said that as I knew it would defuse their anger and suspicion," the Deku Tree says diplomatically.

"So… I have to spend the rest of my life with a _sister? _You _do _realise that us Kokiri live forever, right?"

The Deku Tree's brow creases but before I can question it Zelda yelps.

"You live _forever? _How is that possible? Do you just not age?"

"We stop aging when we hit around ten. I'll look like this when you're dead and go- holy _shit!_"

"Link!" the Deku Tree says, scandalised. Even Zelda winces at the language.

"Deku Tree," I say, with a sense of dread, "she's not Kokiri,"

"But we can pretend she is," Saria points out. I shake my head.

"You're missing the point. She's going to _age, _Saria. How long can we hide it for?"

Saria's eyes widen in realisation.

"Hell, you have a point. We can't get away with it for more than two years, Deku Tree. It's impossible."

The Deku Tree rustles his branches.

"That will not be a problem," he says stiffly, and I could swear, even though he has no real eyes, he looks at me.

I shake my head. "Course it won't be, it's not your head on the line here. You don't even _have_a head."

The Deku Tree seems offended. I can't blame him.

"Go, Link," he sighs, and if he had hands he would be placing his head into them. "You have the Greenleaf Festival to prepare for."

I think that might have been Deku Tree for 'tick off'.

I oblige, stalking from the meadow. I raised a fair point! When we get found out for this, I'll probably get lynched- I think sometimes that the Deku Tree forgets that although we all look like kids, we're not! Somi and Soti are almost a century older than me; Fado's around forty by now. Plenty old enough to know how to use a pitchfork as a weapon.

"Link!"

Saria's chasing after me, grabbing my sleeve, Zelda at her heels. I slow in response.

"Calm down," Saria soothes. "We'll be fine."

"I doubt that," I growl.

_/\\_|(O)|_/\\_

"So, what's the Greenleaf Festival?" Zelda asks that night as I flop against the bed we just finished dragging into my treehouse.

"Kokiri celebration," I pant. "Happens once a year, when the Deku Tree lets new fairies out of his buds. Lots of music and dancing, some plays, and the two Kokiri who show the most promise get to race through the Deku Tree to the top to let the first new fairy out."

"Sounds really fun!" Zelda laughs. "What are you doing?"

"Well, Saria and I always perform on our ocarinas together," I show her my special blue ocarina I found in the woods as a kid, "but I guess this year I might have to do something with you as well. Oh, and this year I landed a part in the play, luckily."

"Which part?" Zelda asks interestedly.

"I get to be the villain," I claw my fingers and pretend to roar at the sky. "I get a mask and everything. You might get a part if you hurry; Timi's in charge of that."

"Which one's he? There's about a billion of you guys."

"He's the kid in the baggy pants. He's always on stilts, and he has a green fairy. Lives just round the corner if you want to see him."

"Alright, I'll do that," she nods, standing up and heading towards the door.


	4. In Which I am a Monster

**CHAPTER THREE**

**IN WHICH I AM A MONSTER**

[/]{INTERLUDE}[\\\\\\\\\\]

Zelda climbed down the ladder, still getting used to the new clothing. It wasn't as soft as the clothing she was used to, but it was oddly comfortable and fit as if made for her. When she reached the bottom she looked in the direction Link had pointed. The sun was setting over the forest, casting glaringly bright golden light over the tall coniferous woods. A pine tree was perfectly silhouetted against the orange disk of the sun, said to be a Sun Goddess chasing after her sister, the Moon Goddess, who had stolen some of her light.

As she walked, Zelda was glad of the signs that helpfully stood outside every building, reading in large letters the name of their occupant. There was even a small shop, with a short, dumpy Kokiri closing up for the night. A red cello lay on the ground nearby; clearly his. A hand clapped her on the shoulder and she jumped, turning to see a smiling Fado with a hand raised to her brow in greeting.

"Hey, Zelda, was it?" she said cheerfully. "I'm sorry about that stuff today. Mido's such an idiot; I don't know why we listen to him."

"It's okay," Zelda said. "Let bygones be bygones."

A part of her had expected the mischievous looking child to be confused and ask her the meaning of 'bygone', but Fado simply nodded in acknowledgement. Zelda suddenly remembered what Link had said about Kokiri being eternally young; how old was Fado?

"Um, Zelda," Fado twisted her hands awkwardly. "I… I wanted to ask you, are you performing at the Greenleaf Festival?"

The words all tumbled out in a mess of nervousness.

"Sure I am, why?" the blonde asked. The Kokiri's face fell.

"So, you already have a partner? Link, I suppose… I mean, he is your brother and all… I just don't have anyone. My brother, Makar, he's playing his cello with Mila this year. I can play violin, but I have no-one to sing with me."

"I can sing!" Zelda said excitedly. "I play the harp too, but I love to sing!"

"Really? Will you sing with me, please? I'm really good, I promise!"

Zelda beamed. She had made at least one friend in this forest of madness. "Why not! Link can go with Saria again, I don't think he'd mind, or he could join in with us if you wanted."

"Oh my gosh, thank you so much!" Fado hugged Zelda, happy beyond words. "I'll grab my violin. Want to come to my place- I mean, we only have two days!"

"That's okay," Zelda grinned. "I'm a real fast learner. Bring it on!"

"Awesome," Fado responded. "Come, my house is this way!"

"I'll find it in a second," Zelda promised. "I have to see Timi first, to get a part in the play."

"Ooh, getting competitive, are we?" Fado giggled. "Link was, too. I think he wants to beat Mido this year- he's in literally everything; the races, the tree-climbing contest, the music contest, the play, everything! It would be nice to see someone other than Mido opening the first fairy-bud, though."

Zelda nodded and run towards Timi's house, the wind blowing her blonde hair out behind her.

"This is it," she muttered, checking the sign, and knocked on the outside wall. A head poked around the corner almost immediately; an extremely short young boy with a mop of curly ginger hair. He was dressed, like every Kokiri, in green, but his clothes were far too large for him. His pants were tied at the waist with mint-coloured fabric, as well as at the ankles, and his green vest was tucked in. A light green fairy was dozing in the mess of his hair.

"Hey, you're that new kid, Zelda," Timi said. His voice had a light lilt to it; high pitched yet humorous. "I called it, you know. Said he didn't kidnap you. Told Mido to stop being so quick to judge. Link's not that bad- got a voice on him, he has. Anyway, enough of that. I'm Timi! Come on in!"

Zelda followed the diminutive Kokiri into his house. Like all Kokiri houses, it was a wide, flat, hollowed out tree stump. It had a set of stairs and a sort of second floor around the wall, crammed with musical instruments and costumes. His hat, a tattered green pointed one resembling Mido's, hung on a branch above their heads. A pair of stilts leaned against a wall.

"So, whatcha doing? Suppose you heard 'bout the Greenleaf Festival and wanted in, huh?"

"Yes," Zelda nodded. "I wanted to see if there are any parts left in the play,"

Timi gave a crooked grin, showing slightly wonky teeth.

"Really? Great! We haven't got many girls this time around; the whole forest is a bit full of guys at the moment. We have the part of the Moon Goddess left over; Fado's not in the play, Mila's already the Sun Goddess and Saria said she wasn't regal enough for it. Can you do regal?"

Zelda snorted. "Sure I can do regal."

[/]{END OF INTERLUDE}[\\\\\\\\\\]

When the day of the Greenleaf festival arrives, I'm shivering with anticipation, late afternoon sun slanting in through the window. This might just be the year that I beat Mido.

Saria and I spent ages brainstorming ways I could impress the Deku Tree in the play, because I have to admit, I suck at speaking parts. And thus, I went with the villain of the piece; the wolf-like monster that devours the Sun Goddess' daughter because the Moon Goddess didn't take good enough care of her sister's child. It'll be kind of funny, pretending to eat Saria, but it'll be even funnier when I have to barf her back up.

"Link!"

Speak of the Stalfos, it's Saria, half-hanging off my ladder and already dressed. Timi and Mila handmade all the props themselves; the outfits are always impressive. The Deku Tree sets rules to make sure it's not too extravagant; we're not allowed to buy anything for the costume, we can't use metal (which is rare enough in the woods as it is) and we can't harm any living plants. Saria's decked out in an orange-painted dress that might once have been a bed sheet, with an old, sun-bleached wooden circlet around her head. She looks kind of… pretty, but I bat away the awkward thought and respond with a 'Yeah?' even though I know what she's gonna say.

"Are you dressed yet?"

Bullseye.

"No, almost!" I lie, grabbing my costume- tunic, mask and clawed gloves- off the table and scrambling to put it on. The tunic, like Saria's, used to be a sheet, but it's been dragged through about fifty thousand different types of mud and moss until it looks like the actual Mooneater could have worn it- that's how dirty it looks. Thankfully, it doesn't smell or feel gross; Timi did a good job on it. I tie the wooden mask on with ribbons and run to the door. Navi flutters after me, gazing a tiny eye over my costume critically.

"Done, Saria. Watch out," I call down, scrambling down the ladder. Saria's waiting impatiently, Kiri on her shoulder napping.

"Took you long enough," she says, tapping her ocarina against her leg. I shrug. "Anyway, apparently the Deku Tree wants to see you- again. You two should move in."

I frown. This will probably be retribution for my less-than-respectful exit the other day. Oh, well. He can't punish me too badly; I happen to know he seriously wouldn't mind if someone other than Mido won for once.

"Meet you by the stage," Saria says. "Zelda said she wanted me to check over her outfit."

I nod, even though I really don't see the need to 'check an outfit'. It's just clothes, right? Taking off my mask, I walk towards the Deku Tree's meadow, hoping I don't get chewed out too badly. I look up at his face; he doesn't look too steamed, so it won't be that bad.

"Dost thou feel it?" he says suddenly.

"Uh… what do you mean?" I ask. He looks down at me and Navi, almost as if he didn't expect us to be there.

"Nothing, Link. Come hither, mine child."

I step forward slowly, wondering what's about to happen. He can't see me if I'm under his nose, so what's that about?

"I hast withheld something from thou for many years, Link. 'Tis a gift left in these woods by thy mother while thou wast snared by the song of the woods."

I start.

"My mother?" I say loudly, words tumbling out frantically. "You saw her? What did she look like? What race was she?"

The Deku Tree shakes his branches solemnly.

"Alas, that i cannot betoken thou, mine child. I doth know, however, that she would hast given it to thou herself had she been able to."

"What is it?" I whisper, both excited and, truth be told, slightly afraid. I've spent my whole life wondering where I came from. Is my mother- and maybe even my father- still out there somewhere? If I could leave these woods, I would find them.

The Deku Tree lifts a root, soil raining from it into my face. I sneeze several times as dust flies into my nose, and it's a moment before I can focus on what he holds and take it, pulling it free from a leather case.

It's a sword.

It's shaped like a stretched-out diamond, with a thin handle and a tattered, slightly dirty white cloth blowing gently from the base of the hilt. The handle itself is wrapped in black cloth, and at the point where the blade is widest, there is a symbol that looks a bit like a crescent moon encircling a sun.

"Wow," I breathe. Kokiri aren't allowed to have weapons, usually; the only weapons we even have are arrows, the Fairy Bow and the Kokiri Sword, which the Deku Tree would only allow used in a desperate situation.

So why is the Deku Tree arming me?

"Deku Tree," I say, still marvelling over the blade, "why are you giving me this?"

"I felt that thou wouldst need it, Link."

"Was this my mother's sword?" I ask. He laughs loudly.

"Nay, child," he chortles. "This was only her boot-knife!"

I frown.

"The hell? I'm that short?"

"Yep," Navi murmurs, landing on the blade. She touches the side and yelps.

"It's still sharp!" she exclaims.

The Deku Tree nods.

"It is enchanted, Navi. This blade will never dull nor scratch, so long as the charm remains."

I look up at the Deku Tree, my anger from before long gone.

"Thank you," I say softly. I slip the blade gently back into its dirt-covered sheath, bowing.

"Ye are welcome," the Deku Tree says. "Take care of it. 'Tis dangerous to go alone."

Since I'm dismissed, I dash out of the meadow, the sword still in my hands. I suddenly think of something, and skid to a stop.

"Deku Tree," I say. "What was her name?"

I hear the creaking of wood before he answers.

"Her name was Naraku," he answers finally. I look at the blade in my hands. Naraku. The last thing I have left of where I came from; a name and a sword. I trace the moon-and-sun symbol that graces the blade and leave the meadow, clutching my treasure to my chest as though someone might steal it away.

When I meet Saria by the stage, Zelda stands beside her. Zelda's dress is similar to Saria's, except much more regal-looking and white rather than orange. Zelda's dug out some of her old bangles to wear.

"We're not supposed to use metal," I frown. Zelda nods to my hands.

"Says you," she says. Saria blinks.

"Is that a sword?" she asks disbelievingly. I unsheathe it proudly.

"Yep," I hold it out. "Got no clue how to use it, but it's mine. The Deku Tree gave it to me."

"Why would he do that? And where did it come from? That's not the Kokiri Sword,"

I look down at it.

"It was my mother's, he said. She left it here when… when we were in the woods,"

It crashes down on me. I know how I became a Kokiri. For some reason, Naraku and I were in the woods and I must have gotten lost. But why would we be in the woods? Everyone knows you stay out of the Lost Woods unless you're a Forest Child.

"Your mother's?" Saria gently takes the blade from me. She seems to know how much it means to me, to have something that belonged to her, even if it's meant for killing.

"Our mother, you mean," Zelda smiles, running a finger along the blade. "It's beautiful,"

"Weapons should not be beautiful," Saria mutters. "It is the symbolism surrounding it that makes it special."

"What does the symbol mean?" Zelda asks me, tapping it.

"I don't know," I say truthfully.

"Maybe it's a crest or something," Navi says, fluttering closer, casting blue light across the metal. "It looks like some sort of crest. It might be your family crest or something. Look, there's writing!"

I squint. It's true- there are symbols under the crest. I don't recognise them.

"What are they?" I ask Navi. She flutters closer.

"Old Hylian," she says. "I… I'm a bit rusty, but I think it says _hedil halne. Hedil_ means 'wake', but I've never seen _halne _before- in modern Hylian, it says 'Ph-ai-ee' but that's just a mess of noises, not a word."

"Thanks, Navi," I say quietly. She nods and lands on my left ear.

"I'm glad you have something of hers, anyway," the fairy whispers.

"Here, Link, let me strap the sheath on," Saria says, turning me by the shoulder. She fiddles with the sheath and my shoulder strap for a moment before letting go. I feel around my back, poking the sheath, which Saria has managed to attach to my shoulder strap.

"Here," Zelda says, sliding the blade into its sheath. It makes a surprisingly tuneful noise, almost like a whine of disappointment. Which is disturbing.

"Hey, how long until the play starts?" Zelda asks me.

"Not long. The Deku Tree should move the stage any- look!"

A colossal branch has reached down from above, where the stage was as close to the Deku Tree's meadow as possible, given that it's sealed off by a thin stone corridor, and lifts the stage by a gigantic carved handle. Kokiri cheer as the stage is lifted to the meadow, and little green figures race towards the Deku Tree.

"Come on!" I yell, grabbing Zelda's hand and dragging her along. Saria follows a split-second later, a strange expression on her face. The corridor is crammed with Kokiri, a squirming mess of excited children pushing and shoving to get to the stage first. Poor Timi, forced to abandon his beloved stilts, gets practically crushed as he tries to make his way through; I hoist him up to piggyback him to the stage.

"Thanks," he breathes heavily, clutching his wooden staff for the part of the hero's accomplice in the play. When we reach the stage, now in its rightful spot, the Deku Tree booms, "Let the Greenleaf Festival begin!"

And so it does. Immediately Timi shoves everyone into their positions, the 'backstage' area cordoned off by an old curtain. I wait backstage with Zelda while Saria goes onto the stage, covered with a blanket with several other Kokiri.

It starts off with Somi, Soti and Makar, dressed in red, blue and green, run across the stage, throwing leaves. Mila, crouched on the stage, pretends to yawn and stand up. She walks across the stage, pretending to be the sun. She taps some of the Kokiri and they throw off their blankets, dressed like stars, and follow her around. Then she stops where Saria crouches under her blanket and pulls it off. The Sun Goddess' daughter; the North Star, rises and stays. Somi, now in a normal tunic, acts like a traveller; Saria takes his hand and points to nowhere in particular. The North Star, guiding light. Zelda nods to me and walks onto the stage. The Deku Tree flutters his leaves appreciatively at her regal walk up the stairs. She, too, follows Mila for a while, then breaks away, takes Saria's hand and runs in the opposite direction. Mila and the stars look horrified; Somi acts lost. Mila chases after Zelda, but can never catch her, and then it's my cue. Donning my mask, I wait until Zelda and Saria run past me, then leap onto the stage, snatching Saria away.

My least favourite part; I pretend to eat Saria. The Deku Tree looks amused; Saria snorts as I make munching noises. Mila finally catches up to Zelda; they bicker angrily, mock-fighting, while I stalk around the stage. The stars are all wailing quietly; Somi is still lost. Then Timi, in his costume walks onto the stage and pretends to hex me. I wail, but hold onto Saria, then Mido leaps onto the stage.

"Release the North Star, fiendish beast!" he waves a wooden sword around. I don't have to pretend when I snarl at him, and we begin the mock fight. It ends with Mido supposedly striking me in the stomach, causing me to 'barf' up Saria and end it. Then I get my one line in the whole play- "I will return! I will find you!" before pretending to drop dead. The Deku Tree clacks two branches together in appreciation.

"Well done, mine children! Excellent!" he says happily. We bow cheerfully and file offstage.

"I hope I never have to wear this thing again," I say, pulling off my mask.

Saria nods. "Good job eating me," she says.

"Thanks," I grin.

"Link!" Zelda calls, running up to me.

"I'm not going to ask how you run in that dress," I shake my head. She smirks.

"Practise. Lots of it." she responds.


	5. I Become Lord of Cobweb

**CHAPTER FOUR**

**I BECOME LORD OF COBWEB**

[/]{INTERLUDE}[\\\\\\\\\\]

The grave robber slid her fingers along the cold stone, glancing back over her shoulder. The lights in the grave tender's hut were out. Nothing stirred in the Kakariko graveyard; the woman crouched in front of a certain headstone and lifted her shovel, levering the headstone up with the point. Sure enough, a gush of cold air spilled out from underneath. The grave robber grinned.

_Sheikah graveyards,_ she thought. _There's always one grave with a secret._

Heaving the stone off the hole, the grave robber looked around, making sure no-one was watching, then snatched up a stone and dropped it into the hole. A few seconds later the echo was heard.

"That's a long way down," she mused, uncoiling her rope and looping it around the headstone. Tying a knot as a foothold, grinning fatalistically, she dropped into the grave.

When she reached the bottom, the grave robber lit a lamp, looked around and frowned. This wasn't right. There was only a dank cavern with skeletons tossed around like junk. There was a small altar, with two unlit torches, but there was nothing on it. The thick air hung around her, reflecting her mood. She moved forward to examine the altar.

Above the altar, on the wall behind it, was a carving of the Sheikah emblem, the Bleeding Eye. The grave robber narrowed her eyes. Something wasn't right here. From her belt she pulled a knife, lifted it, and hurled it at the carving. The projectile found its home in the pupil of the Bleeding Eye, and immediately the torches on either side of the altar blazed to life. The grave robber grinned. Sheikah. Tricky little buggers.

The stone wall crumbled into ashes before the grave robber's eyes, and she stepped over them with a grin. Before her, on a marble pedestal engraved with ancient Hylian runes, was the treasure she had been seeking.

The Book of Mudora.

Its leather cover was grey with age; if it had ever said anything at all, she would never have known. She stepped forwards cautiously. She had learned from experience that if a robber wasn't careful a Lizalfos would drop down on their heads. No traps were evident, so the grave robber cautiously lifted the book from the pedestal. Nothing happened, and she grinned.

"My beauty," she told the book. "How long I've been searching for you. You will make me very, very rich."

The Book of Mudora was a priceless artefact, filled with prophecies and told to contain the words of a great prophet from many centuries ago. She opened the book, preparing to leaf through it to check its condition, and started. Rather than a page with the title of the book, as most did, there was a letter.

With her name on it.

[/]{END OF INTERLUDE}[\\\\\\\\\\]

"Well," Saria says. "That has got to be the most competitive Greenleaf Festival ever."

Zelda nods. "I gotta admit, I didn't realise climbing trees could be so competitive."

I grin as the Kokiri gather beneath the Deku Tree once more, eager to find out the two Kokiri who will race through the maze-like interior of the Deku Tree to reach the top. I cross my fingers silently as the Deku Tree calls for quiet, and a Deku Scrub marches in front of the crowd. There's a pregnant silence as everyone waits with baited breath. The idea is that the Deku Scrub will spit out two nuts at the people who have shown the most promise.

My thoughts are interrupted when a nut hits me in the face. I fall backwards, Zelda grabbing me under the arms to keep me upright. I look at the nut on the ground in front of me, and scoop it up like it's made of gold.

"Holy hell," I breathe. "I actually made it!"

Mido, who of course caught his nut, marches proudly up to the Deku Tree, and Saria squeaks with excitement.

"Go on, Link! You could beat him any day!" she says brightly. I doubt that, but elbow through the crowd to stand beside Mido. He scowls.

"No-Fairy? You're the other one?"

"You sound like you didn't see it coming," I comment. His face darkens and he looks away.

"Kokiri of these woods!" the Deku Tree announces. "Today hath been an excellent display of talent and pride; 'ere thou stand thy champions! They shall race through mine trunk to reach mine boughs, and whoever reaches them first shall hast the honour of opening the first fairy-bud!"

To Mido and I, more quietly, he adds "Be careful, both of thou. This year is moo dangerous than most; I am humour unwell, thus many. . . unpleasant creatures await thou. If thou shouldst be in danger, simply crush this seed in thy hand and thou will be rescued. Understood?"

The little Deku Scrub offers Mido and I a seed; Mido shoves my hand away and grabs the biggest one.

I don't see why.

I take the seed and thank the Scrub; it's hard to see with his little tube mouth, but I think he might be smiling.

"BEGIN!" the Deku Tree bellows, his mouth hanging open. Mido shoves me harshly to the side; the little Scrub manages to stop me faceplanting as Mido vanishes into the Deku Tree's mouth.

"Come on, Link!" Navi screeches excitedly.

"Thanks!" I call to the Scrub, scrambling after Mido. I can hear Saria cheering, and I grin. As I run inside, I see Mido looking around, taking in the layout of the tree. It's made up of half a billion floors arranged around the outside, leaving a clear path up to the top. But right up, where I can see the opening where we need to reach, there's no way to get to it except through one ivy-covered gap that leads into another outer room. In the middle of the floor is a huge chute covered in thick spider web. This'll be tough.

"Haven't you done this before?" I ask. Mido scowls at me, not even deigning to look at me.

"Idiot," he snorts. "The Deku Tree grows like any other plant. It changes each year. Only a tiny bit stays the same; look up there, that was the first floor last year."

The spot he's pointing at is fifty feet off the ground.

"Wow," I breathe, unsheathing Naraku's sword and looking around. The hilt fits comfortably into my hand; after the Deku Tree's warning, it makes sense why he would give it to me.

Mido's eyes are fixed on the sword.

"Good grief!" he says. "Why would YOU need that, No-Fairy?"

And he snatches it from my hand.

"Hey!" I snarl, making a grab for it, but he holds it cruelly out of my reach. "That's mine!"

"Not anymore!" he taunts, before dashing away. In seconds he's gone.

"Come back here, you lousy, no-good, thieving little brat!" Navi screams after him.

"There's no point chasing him, Navi," I sigh. "What Mido wants, Mido gets. I'll get it back afterwards. It's not like I knew how to use it anyway. I'll have to rely on my slingshot,"

I pull the little wooden sling out of my Kokiri pouch at my belt.

"It's not fair that Lord Unbeatable just stole it, though," Navi says softly. "That was your mother's. I'm sure she would have wanted its first use to have been by you."

"I know," I say, silent for a moment. Then; "Shouldn't we get going? Let's stick it to Mido by beating him!"

"Do we follow him?" Navi asks.

"No," I say, stepping forwards. "Look," I stride to the wall that the ivy-covered gap is on and rap my knuckles on it. "This wood is a heck of a lot thinner, but it covers the same space. And it sounds hollow. We have to get in there somehow; I'd bet you any amount of rupees that there's a way to get up there inside."

I walk towards the middle and hold my hand over the webbing.

"There's air through here," I say. "Navi, can you fit through?"

"I'll try," she mutters, fluttering down. "I think I found your long-dormant leadership qualities, though. It's almost like you've done this before."

She drops through the web cleanly, and I see a little blue light spiralling downwards. A little while later, I hear a thin voice calling up.

"There's water down here; it's a soft landing!" Navi yells. "I see another room, as well. It's going in the opposite direction to the way we need to go, though!"

"That's fine!" I say. "It feels right! Now I just have to figure out how to get through…"

Navi's light comes fluttering back up before stopping abruptly a foot away.

"Uh… Navi?" I ask slowly.

"Link," says a muffled fairy voice. "I think I'm stuck."

"Good on you," I mutter, and take a deep breath before plunging my hand through the web to grab her.

I've barely touched the web when _something _lets out a deafening screech.

"Link!" Navi yells, and something slams into my side, throwing me away from the gap. I snatch a random stick off the ground and roll over just in time to see a big-ass spider launching itself at my face.

[/]{INTERLUDE}[\\\\\\\\\\]

"Hey, Neri," Mido said. "Check out this sword!"

The magenta fairy flew closer, looking at it.

"It's real fancy," she said stuffily, "but isn't that Link's?"

Mido shrugged.

"He can barely climb a tree, Neri. I doubt he could use a sword. Better I have it!"

"Maybe," Neri frowned, "but it's not like you can use it either."

Mido scowled. Neri was right; he'd never used a weapon in his life.

"Best way to learn is by experience," Mido grinned, dashing through another twisting tunnel. It soon emerged into the main area of the tree again, several storeys off the ground. Mido peered over the edge to see Link still lingering on the bottom floor, crouched down and looking into that web-covered hole. He looked about to touch it.

"Idiot," Mido snorted. "He hasn't gotten- _good grief_!"

A huge spider, as tall as Mido, had shot out of a curtain of ivy directly at Link. He nearly shouted out to the Kokiri in way of warning, but stopped himself.

"No-one cares if No-Fairy goes," he muttered, turning away. "Besides, he's got his stupid seed. Better he give up and get out of my way."

He heard a cry of pain, and for a moment honestly considered helping. Then he corrected himself and walked into another tunnel.

"Mido!" shrieked Neri in horror. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like, Neri?" Mido said coldly. "He's got Navi to help him. And if it gets too dirty the Deku Tree will step in. Light knows the Deku Tree loves his stupid Hylian kid."

Neri decided to play dirty.

"If Link dies then Zelda will be inconsolable,"

Mido paused. Light, was Zelda beautiful. Kokiri didn't really marry or anything, but if they did, Mido knew he would want to marry Zelda.

Then he realised what Neri was doing.

"Shut the hell up, Neri. I'm not helping him. He'll just stab me in the back."

"So you'd kill the Deku Scrub before you find out whether he wants to hurt you or befriend you?"

"Yes, Neri!" Mido snapped angrily, shoving the fairy aside as he walked further down the twisting tunnel. "Because the Deku Scrub would already be trying to shoot me!"

"When has Link EVER tried to hurt you?"

"Plenty of times!"

"Rephrase: when has Link ever tried to hurt you without YOU hurting him FIRST?"

Mido stopped abruptly. He could still hear Navi screeching bloody murder from the middle room; punctuated by staccato hisses and yelps.

When HAD Link ever actually gone against him?

And then he saw something, back the way he had come. It was… he didn't know what it was. Green, was the first word that came to mind. It was very, very GREEN. And pretty. It was pretty. And he got the vague impression it was female.

"What is it? Mido? HEY! Listen to me!"

Mido was transfixed, that… greenness beckoning. Watch over him, she was saying, until he can do it himself, and if you don't I will kill you.

Suddenly slightly less pretty, Mido decided.

The greenness disappeared, and Mido lurched forwards.

"I have to help him!" he yelped, racing back towards the room where Link had been. Navi's screams were growing louder, but chillingly he couldn't hear Link.

"Sweet Light," he panted, lifting his stolen sword. "Green Lady is going to kill me if he's dead!"

"What are you talking about?" Neri cried, racing after Mido. He nearly charged straight off the edge of the platform, looking down. Link was still struggling against the spider; pinned down and gasping for breath.

"Why hasn't he used his seed?" Neri yelped in horror. Mido lifted the sword.

"Please don't hurt me, Green Lady, if I miss," he said, then pegged the sword as hard as he could at the spider.

Of course he missed.

[/]{END OF INTERLUDE}[\\\\\\\\\\]

"Bloody hell!" I swear as the spider leaps and lands on top of me.

"What's happening?" Navi screeches. "I can't see!"

"Preoccupied!" I yelp, smacking the spider with the stick. It promptly snatches the stick away and proceeds to eat it.

Well, that plan worked. I kick the spider off me, and wonder if this is the kind of crap that happens every year. I almost reach for my seed. Almost. Then something stops me. I can almost hear a voice; it's female.

And she's calling me a coward.

I stop. Am I losing it totally? There's a voice in my head calling me a- holy shit! The spider's tackled me again; I punch it frantically.

_Better, _says the woman's voice smugly.

"Shut UP!" I snap, wriggling underneath the spider. It's bloody huge!

"LIIINK!" Navi screeches in panic.

And then something nearly cuts off my finger. It's sharp, I know that much, and I almost swear before I realise what it is.

What the hell? It's my sword! I don't stop to question; I snatch the blade, ignoring the bite from my cut finger, and stab the spider in the back.

It screeches in terror and pain, and a perfectly disgusting amount of green goo spurts onto my boots. That'll never wash out, but I really don't care. I shove the dead spider off me and stand up shakily. I look up; I can't see Mido, but I can see his fairy, and I realise that for once Mido put himself at risk to help me.

I don't believe it.

"Link!"

Oh, hell, I forgot about Navi. I scramble back over to the hole. She's right tangled now; she must've been struggling around to get loose.

"Hold still," I say, cutting the web with my sword to free the little blue fairy. She immediately tackles my face in frantic relief.

"Oh, my goddesses, I thought you were dead!" she wails, hugging my nose. I try not to sneeze. "What kind of a guardian fairy am I? You were nearly killed! Oh, come on, Link, let's get out of here! I was terrified!"

"No, Navi," I say. The tiny blue fairy lets go of my nose in surprise, miniscule blue ponytail bobbing.

"Huh? Link, you nearly died, and we haven't even left the first floor!"

"Yeah," I say, "but I have this." I lift the sword, and Navi stares.

"Didn't Mido take that?"

"For once, he actually did something nice. Well… something life-saving and incredibly selfless, try."

Navi looks up wonderingly, but Mido and Neri are gone.

"Come on, then," I say, dangling my legs into the now-slashed-open hole. Navi turns just in time to see me jump.

"LINK!" she screeches, horrified.

I ignore her and close my eyes. I can almost imagine that I'm flying through the sky. Do people live in the sky? I'd like to go there, maybe. How? No freaking clue.

When I hit the water at the bottom, there's a colossal splash. I smack my butt hard on the bottom; Navi's definition of deep water is different than mine. I stand up as my fairy crash-lands on my hat.

"_What the hell_?" she screams at me. "Link, you are going to die if you keep this up! Stop it, stop it!"

"Navi," I say, cutting past her. "This is my chance and I'm not cuccoing out. Like it or lump it, I'm going to keep going."

I shove some ivy aside, revealing a twisting tunnel. Maybe a root or something. The ground is filled with water, so my guess seems accurate.

"Hello?" a small voice pipes. I turn around. A pretty little Deku Scrub was the speaker. "Are you trying to get to the top?"

"Yeah, I am," I say, stepping closer. "Do you know the way?"

She points with a little wooden hand at another gap in the bark. "You'll find you can climb right up in there. There's little ledges you can rest on, too."

"Thanks!" I say gratefully, heading towards the opening.

"Wait!" she says shrilly. "Don't go in there!"

"Why?" I ask, confused. The Scrub shivers.

"There's a big scary monster in there," she says tremulously. "My butler says it's called a Gohma. She'll eat you up!"

"How big are we talking?" I ask, thinking of the spider upstairs.

She gulps. "About as big as that tunnel."

"Holy sh-" I cut off the swear word. I'm not too good with Deku Scrub ages; she could be anywhere between three and thirty years old.

"Wait!" she says. "You have a sword! Can you use it?"

"Uh," I say. "It's debateable."

"If you can fight, you could kill Gohma! Then we wouldn't have to hide anymore!"

"Link," Navi says. "I'd bet anything that Gohma is why the Deku Tree feels ill."

"That settles it, then." I say firmly. "I'ma go kill some Gohma. Nothing like gigantic parasitic monsters to give you some exercise."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Navi yells. "The second you walked in here you became practically suicidal!"

_Not suicidal, _a part of me thinks. _Courage._

I dunno. I'd still call it suicidal, all things considered.

"Navi," I say sharply, "you don't get it. You've only been around for a month. You haven't watched what's happened my whole life. I _know_ I can do better than any of them, I have to show them! There's just… there's something _telling _me that I have a job to do and I better get on doing it!"

Navi scowls, turning away and deliberately throwing dust in my eyes.

"Fine, you _idiot_," she seethes, "but I sure as hell aren't carrying your body out of this tree."

"I will!" says the Deku, entirely clueless.

"You won't have to," I pat her head and look towards the cave-like opening in the roots. "Navi? Let's go bust some heads."

"We're going to diiee…" she moans, following me.

_/\\_|(O)|_/\\_

That is one hell of a spider.

I thought the little shit that I fought back up the chute was big, but this thing's the size of my entire house. And when it opens its eye- yeah, one eye, I thought spiders were meant to have eight- it looks at me and doesn't even flinch. It just lazily blinks.

"Hey, Link?" Navi hisses.

"What?" I whisper.

"Still want to prove your awesomeness?"

I dig out my slingshot, load in a Deku Nut, stick out my tongue and mutter, "Yep."

The nut hits the Gohma smack-bang in the eye. Saria always said I was a good shot. Gohma screeches in horror, and I can't help but narrate, the way Saria does for birds.

"Oh!" I squeal in falsetto, "how dare this grasshopper hurt me!"

"Link!" Navi yelps, zooming at the Gohma to get a better look. "The eye's its definite weak point; the leg joints look soft too!"

"Got it!" I yell as Gohma charges at me. I duck and the giant spider slams into the wall; it wails again, and I stab at its leg. The blade clangs off of a shell that must be made of freaking iron; I don't think Gohma even felt it. I duck between two spindly legs as the spider turns sharply. I hear Gohma's huge, plodding footfalls, but they're getting… further away?

"Navi?" I turn in circles, looking around. Gohma can't fit through the door; where did it go?

"Link…" my fairy says softly, sounding terrified, "look _up_."

And then something stabs me in the shoulder and I say something that I'm fairly sure is unprintable. Navi screams in horror and I drop my sword, hand flying to the injury.

Holy _shit, _it's bleeding. That might sound a little 'wow, noob', but Kokiri have, like, zero experience with blood. A Kokiri cuts themselves on a fruit knife it's a forest-wide incident.

"What the _hell?_" I yell at the spider, and I could swear it looks amused. I retaliate by picking up my sword and throwing it at Gohma's face- a stupid move. It snarls furiously and drops from the ceiling, nearly crushing Navi. My fairy yelps and zooms away from the giant spider. My sword's half a metre away; I grit my teeth. How the actual heck am I going to reach it without getting shish-kabobbed?

"Navi," I say slowly, locked in a staring contest with the slowly advancing Gohma, "if you fairies have any muscles at all you will bring me my sword…"

I can hear a groan of exertion and I know she's trying, and the scrape of metal. I can't see, but I think it might be moving across the floor towards me. And I feel it touch my boot, and I duck and grab it. The breaking of the eye contact has enraged Gohma- like it wasn't already pissed- and I look up, sword in hand, to see the spider lunging forwards, snapping mandibles ready to chop me like a satsuma. I do the only thing I have time to- hold the sword out in front of me and swear. Loudly.

I'm thrown backwards and crash painfully into the wall. My eyes are squeezed shut and I'm waiting to see how this ginormous insect is going to kill me- I will never crush a spider under my boot again- and nothing happens.

I slowly peek open one eye. Gohma's lying on top of me- with my sword buried handle-deep in its eye. I'm not even going to ask how that happened.

"That's gross," I pant, tugging on the handle. It takes a few goes before I actually get it out; the blade is covered in what looks like clear gloop.

"Ew," Navi murmurs as she looks at it, fluttering lopsidedly towards me and landing tiredly on my shoulder.

"Well," I say, "we have a problem- how the hell do I get this thing off me?"

But it looks like my question is answered- Gohma is crumbling. Literally. It's just turning to a gritty black substance where it lies. The impaled eye is the last thing to crumble; it almost looks like Gohma is glaring at me from its pile of dust on my lap. And then the spider is nothing but a mess that someone really needs to sweep up. I get to my feet, brushing Gohma-dust off my lap. Navi suddenly swears- which is drastic, I've never heard her swear before- and lifts off my shoulder.

"I just sat in a puddle of your blood!" she says, nose wrinkled and eyes wide.

Oh, damn, that's right. I'm bleeding. I can't even feel it. In fact, my entire arm is feeling kind of sleepy.

"Hey, Navi, you know this stuff," I grimace, twisting my head to see the wound. "How do you deal with this?"

She looks closer and sniffs the gross puncture mark.

"I don't think it will kill you," she says, "it's venomous, but I'd say it's just meant to knock you out while Gohma eats you. Not like it'll be doing that now. You need to wrap it up."

I tear off my left sleeve- it's tattered enough anyway- and hand it to the fairy. She takes it, spits on it- magic fairy stuff, I hope, and not just her contempt- and wraps up the sting as best as she can.

"Should do it," she says, "but try not to overexert yourself."

I snort. "Navi, we have a hundred-foot climb now. Have to reach the top, remember?"

She looks lost for words, opening and shutting her mouth wordlessly before giving up.

"Ugh. Don't fall!"

I drag my feet as we walk to the ivy, and kick something out of the Gohma-dust. I look down- what is it? I gingerly pick it up; a green stone, with a bronze frame.

"That's pretty," Navi says. I pocket it. I'll ask the Deku Tree about it later. Grabbing onto the ivy, I hoist myself up. Good thing ivy-climbing is one of my talents, huh? I'm nowhere near as good as Mido, especially with a dead arm, but I can get myself to the top.


	6. I Get Mixed Signals

**CHAPTER FIVE**

**IN WHICH I GET MIXED SIGNALS**

When we reach the top, I have to say I've never been so relieved. There's a little ivy-covered doorway, and that leads into the main room, at the very top. Just above me is the opening to climb through into the moonlight-just how long did I spend in there? It was afternoon when we started - and Navi smiles softly.

"We made it," she says contentedly.

"You know what?" I say. "I don't even care if Mido beat us. I killed Gohma, and that's enough for me."

But when we climb through into the strong moonlight, Mido's not there, and when I walk to the end of the branch the Kokiri erupt in screams of joy.

"We won," I say dazedly, and my eyes lock with Saria's in the crowd. I dig out my ocarina and play the song she made, a sort of victory trumpet, and I can hear it echoing back. After a few moments, Mido appears, green dust forming into his shape. He must have used his seed the moment he heard the cheers. He turns to look up at me, and I expect a rude hand gesture, but what I get instead is a salute. _A one-off,_ his face says. _Maybe you don't suck as much as I thought you did._

Maybe Mido's not as bad as I thought. He's been an ass all my life, but when I needed him he saved my life.

"Link," Navi says, "Are you going to open a fairy-bud?"

"Oh, yeah!" I say. I'd totally forgotten about that. I look around for a bud. On a bough not too far away there's a pretty big one; I jump across to the branch and nearly lose my footing.

"With all the grace of a baby moblin," Navi says sarcastically. I ignore her and crouch down near the bud, placing my hands on the top. I gently prise the petals apart, and a white fairy flutters its wings, drying them out, then lifts into flight.

"White," Navi says. "Adventure, joy, friendship."

The colour of the first fairy is supposed to be a sort of omen towards the kind of year the opener will have. Mido's have always come true, so I suppose there must be some sort of magic around it. I jump; a second fairy is fluttering out of the bud!

"Twins," Navi says. "That's rare. This one's black; trials, confusion, loss."

I give my fairy a deadpan face.

"Because both of those can be right at the same time," I say.

"They can," she says. "You'll go through trials, but they'll be an adventure. You'll be confused, but joy will come out of it."

I shake my head.

"Nah," I say. "Must have been a dud. Let's just go with the first three."

The two fairies have fluttered around, and the other fairy-buds are opening. Fairies of every imaginable colour light the sky; they look amazing against the night sky. The Deku Tree lowers the bough I'm standing on and I slide down it, stumbling off and into Saria's arms.

"You did it," she whispers. "I'm so proud of you."

She goes to rest her head on my shoulder and I yelp. She lifts her head sharply, looking at my shoulder.

"Oh my Hylia," she says, pushing my blonde hair out of the way. She's always saying I need to cut it. "What the hell happened to you?"

I shrug and wince, the quickly decide shrugging was a bad idea.

"Ugh, nothing. Giant spider, that's all."

Saria frowns, but says nothing. She's shooting me her 'why must you try to get yourself killed' face. I ignore it.

"Kokiri!" the Deku Tree bellows proudly. "I present to thou thy champion, Link!"

Kokiri engulf me, thumping me on the back. Whenever someone hits too close to my injured shoulder I wince and/or grunt; no-one even notices. Then Zelda hugs me.

"Good job," she whispers in my ear. "I picked a good brother with you. You're the most courageous Kokiri in these woods."

"And you the most wise," I blurt out without thinking. She smiles warmly and kisses me on the cheek, then walks away.

Holy hell. I just got kissed by a girl. No-one's commenting; obviously, they all think she's my sister, that's what we told them, but we both know she's not. Yeah, it was only the cheek, but still. Saria takes my hand.

"Come on," she says, smiling at me, but it doesn't reach her eyes. "You couldn't look more dead if you were a Stalfos. I'll fix you up and then you're going to sleep."

I follow her back to her house. Zelda joins us a while later, holding my neatly folded Kokiri tunic. The two fairies I let out are following her; the Deku Tree must have assigned them her guardians. It'd be cruel to split up a pair of twin fairies, I suppose. She holds up the tunic.

"Your costume was a bit wrecked. Figured you'd want this," she says, handing it to me. Saria finishes bandaging up the spider-sting and sits back.

"Done," she says. "Now put your tunic on and tell us everything."

And so I sit back on Saria's bed, telling them everything that happened. Zelda's cross-legged on the floor, Saria and I on the bed, and I have to admit; Saria, Kiri, Zelda and the newly-named Tatl and Tael are a great audience.

[/]{INTERLUDE}[\\\\\\\\\\]

The grave robber slid down the wall, eyes fixed on the letter. It was written in modern Hylian, in strangely childlike hand.

_I know who you are and I know where you are, _it read. _As you are reading this you are leaning against a wall in a grave in the Kakariko village graveyard. Where I am writing from there is no Kakariko village; there is no Castletown, no Zora's Domain- no Zoras at all, for that matter- no Gerudo Desert. And yet I know everything about the land called Hyrule. You will be important to the fate of Hyrule; but your test starts here._

_I want you to copy down everything that is in this book. Leave this letter out. Copy it into a new book, keep it with you always. Do not allow it to be damaged. At some point in the future- roughly seven years- you will meet someone. You will know them when you see them. He will stand out to you. Give the book you created to him. _

_By doing this you can help ensure that Hyrule will not fall; an age of darkness approaches you._

_Do not forget what I have said, Sage Thief._

_-Mudora_

The grave robber couldn't believe her eyes. When she had pursued the Book of Mudora it had been solely for money. For the amount of rupees she could get for something like that. She hadn't even considered the possibility that there would be something about her. She hadn't even thought that there would be something covering this side of the century. And yet there it was. Her name, written in bold runes, dark brown ink. She slowly closed the book.

"What grave have I dropped into?" she wondered aloud. "I've got a feeling that pretty soon it will be my own."

She felt slightly odd, talking to the flickering shadows, but she needed to voice her dilemma.

How had a man who had lived millennia ago known her name?

[/]{END OF INTERLUDE}[\\\\\\\\\\]

"You can get up now," an amused voice says. "Mila's finished painting you."

I yawn and open my eyes. Zelda is leaning over me, grinning. Mila's holding up a painting of me sleeping, an arm draped over- _Saria?_ I sit up sharply and wince as my bandages pull. Saria mumbles sleepily and looks at me, smiling softly before closing her eyes again.

"Oh," I say. Navi, Kiri, Tatl and Tael are piled up on top of each other on the bed-head; none of them apparently found a problem with me _falling asleep in Saria's bed!_

Wait a sec. Why do _I _have a problem with it? I don't actually think I do.

So I yawn and lay back down.

"Go away," I say good-humouredly. "I'm trying to sleep here."

Mila looks like she can't believe her eyes as she backs out of the house, painting in hand. Zelda smiles softly and follows the Kokiri.

"Hey, Saria," I whisper. She makes a catlike noise in the back of her throat and slowly rolls over to look at me, eyes barely open and squinting against the light. "Morning, sleepyhead."

Her eyebrows furrow slightly as she registers my face.

"What are you doing in my bed…" she asks, words drawn out and tired.

"Fell asleep," I say, closing my eyes, "which I intend to do again right now, if you don't mind."

She smiles softly. "Course not," she mumbles. So I close my eyes and curl up around her and fall back asleep, and I wonder why Saria's bed suddenly feels more comfortable than my own.

_It's night-time. A crescent moon is in the sky and in front of me is an enormous building. It must be hewn out of solid stone. I step forwards and push open the enormous double doors. The inside is all made of white marble, with wooden seats arranged in symmetrical rows on each side. At the front, in the middle, is a solid rectangle of white marble, inlaid with gold. Enormous marble arches are painstakingly carved in each wall; I turn slowly, taking it all in. Above the entrance is a small second floor, a choir loft, I think. Behind it is a stunning, circular stained glass window, depicting a beautiful woman holding up a sword and a harp, nine circular symbols around her head like a halo. Underneath the choir loft is a second window; a silhouette of a man with the same sword in hand, facing a pillar of flames with huge, empty eyes. They're beautiful; something about them strikes a chord in me, and I have the urge to climb up the stairs to see them up close. Instead I turn, facing the front again, and walk up the space between the long seats to the front. I run a hand over the altar, three golden indents in three shapes, tracing them, and suddenly something feels wrong. I whirl around, but it is too late, and I can hear screaming and it's not mine. What the hell is going on?_

I wake up when Navi tackles my injured shoulder. It's not the best way to greet the morning.

"What the-?" I yelp, sitting bolt upright and looking around. The blue fairy flutters in front of me, her blue hair sticking out in all directions like she spent the last ten minutes flying repeatedly into a wall.

"Thank Hylia!" Saria says loudly, tackling me to the bed, and I yelp as her nose pokes my shoulder.

"Ow! What the- Saria, what the heck?"

She sits up, looking at me.

"You spent the last ten minutes whining like a kicked Wolfos cub," she says solemnly. "We were starting to get worried,"

"Starting?" Navi says cynically. "More like 'dying of terror what is wrong with my Kokiri'."

I run a hand through my hair, yawning.

"Where's my hat?" I ask.

"Probably where you kicked it," Navi says, fluttering down to the floor and illuminating the hat. Saria hooks it with her foot and lifts it up, handing it to me.

"I still don't get how it stays on," she says. "It's like a windsock."

I shrug, putting it on. "Awesomeness, that's how it stays on. Pure awesomeness."

Saria raises an eyebrow.

"I'm sure that's it," she says, leaning on my shoulder.

[/]{INTERLUDE}[\\\\\\\\\\]

Zelda sat on the edge of her bed and looked at the dirty harp in her lap.

She had wrapped vines around the golden frame and smeared it with mud before she had taken it onstage; the harp was still humming indignantly from the dishonour.

"Why did you choose me?" she asked it mournfully. The harp hummed again, this time sounding prideful.

"Yeah, yeah, harp. Stop giving me nightmares,"

The harp vibrated crossly.

"Don't give me that BS, I know it's you, the magic book said so."

The harp vibrated even more violently in protest.

"Oh, shut up," Zelda groaned, throwing the harp to the floor. She had learned years ago that the harp was entirely unbreakable; even the strings were snap-proof. In one of her more desperate moments she had stolen Impa's knife and tried to split the strings, silencing it, to no avail. The harp vibrated so harshly at the impact that it actually moved across the floor. Zelda threw a pillow at it.

"Wow, you are crazy," Tatl smirked. The two fairies laughed that creepy-as-all-heck laugh they had, high pitched and echo-ey.

"You'd be nuts too if you kept dreaming about stuff that hasn't happened yet," Zelda moaned, flopping back on her bed and closing her eyes. The two fairies landed beside her.

"You know," said the more solemn fairy, Tael, "why don't you just tell the guy? If something important is going to happen, you have to let him know."

"No," Zelda reprimanded. "He's happy the way he is. I'm not telling him, and neither are you."

"You say that like you have complete command over us," Tatl said crossly. Zelda opened an eye to look at the white fairy.

"Which I do. Technically, I'm your princess. I command you not to tell Link, Navi or anyone who may then relay the message to Link, about this dream."

She watched, satisfied, as Tatl struggled to find a loophole, then her wings drooped.

"Whatever you say, O Divine Majesty," the fairy griped. Zelda smiled softly, closing her eyes again.

"That's better," she said.

"Can I go now?" Tatl said, sounding right annoyed.

"Whatever," Zelda waved a hand in the air. The fairy flew out of the room, tiny glowing fists clenched angrily.

"You know, Zelda," said Tael tamely, "you may be a princess in Hyrule, but there's a way we can go around that,"

Zelda frowned, lifting her head.

"What do you mean?"

"You still have to answer to the Great Deku Tree," he said. "And these woods extend over the Hyrulean boundary, into Ordona Province. So, say, the Deku Tree ordered you spend a while in that part of the woods…"

Zelda glared.

"Don't you dare," she threatened. Tael shrugged.

"Well, if you don't even try to help Link, I _will_ go to the Deku Tree. You need to learn to respect your fairies."

"You were literally born yesterday!"

"Ah," Tael corrected, "that's where you're getting stuck. Fairies inherit the knowledge of the tree they were released from. In that sense, I'm older than you by centuries."

Zelda growled in the back of her throat.

"What the heck should I do, then? I can't just up and tell him 'Hey, you're going to go on a real dangerous journey that will probably kill you!', can I?"

Tael fluttered his wings.

"Then train him," he said.

"Do what now?" Zelda said incredulously.

Tael shrugged. "You've spent your life watching your Hylian knights train. You sat by while they were instructed in every skill a knight may need."

"But it takes years for a knight to train!"

Tael stared at her. "If your dreams are right, his _spirit_ already knows how to do all of it. You just need to teach his _mind_."

[/]{END OF INTERLUDE}[\\\\\\\\\\]

"You seriously need to eat less," Navi says. "I don't understand how you're so tiny when you eat like a Wolfos."

I shrug, pushing the watermelon shell away.

"It's fruit. Fruit's healthy."

Saria's finished hers ages ago, so we gather up the seeds and leave the house for the garden, burying the seeds in the dirt.

"It's really cold today," Saria remarks, rubbing her arms.

"I know, right?" I say, pulling my arms back in through my sleeves so they're up against my chest. It hurts with my Gohma sting- stupid spider got the last laugh- but it's warmer, which is what matters.

Saria giggles. "You look like a dumbass," she snorts.

"Yup!" I lift my chin. "That's me! Link the Dumbass,"

"Link!" yells someone. I turn to see Zelda striding towards me, looking distinctly unimpressed.

"Oh, what have I done now, I am totally in for it…" I moan, popping my arms back through the sleeves. Saria snorts.

"If I didn't know better I'd say you two were an old married couple!" she says. I poke her.

"Close enough," I grin before facing Zelda, who has now stopped in front of me.

"Come with me," she says sharply, turning on her heel again. "And bring your sword!"

"What-? Hey, stop, where are you going? Zelda!"

She's marching up the hill into the upper forest; heck, even _I _sometimes get lost in there. She's not Kokiri; what the hell is she doing?

"I gotta go!" I yelp, sprinting towards Saria's house and snatching my sword from the floor where I may have unceremoniously dumped it.

I dumped my mother's sword on the floor. I am such a bad son.

I sprint towards Zelda's retreating figure, chasing her down before she gets too far away. Navi's hanging onto the end of my hat and basically getting a free trip, because she's not even flapping her wings.

"Zelda!" I yell, and her honey-blonde head turns to look at me. She stops, allowing me to catch up.

"Come on, slow-coach," she says, and as soon as I've stopped, doubled over for breath, she starts walking again. I groan and follow her. Tael seems to know where we're going; Zelda's following him. Soon we come to a clearing and I nearly fall over in shock.

It's clear what she's spent the last hour doing. The place is rigged up like a training ground. There's one in the village, but it's more for fun. This one looks serious.

"What are we doing?" I ask when I've got my breath back. She looks at me and grins.

"I can't very well have a complete incompetent for a brother, now, can I?" she says, and I wince. "You said you beat Gohma by sheer luck and stupidity on the spider's part; I want you to be able to win by actually winning."

"Um…"

"Take up your arms!" she says, throwing a stick at my face. I manage to grab it and see that it's got another stick tied roughly across it with ribbon; a makeshift guard.

"What?" I say, shortly before Zelda gives me a stinging blow on the ankle. "Ow!" I yelp, jumping backwards and rubbing my ankle through my boot. There's already a bruise there, I just know it.

"That bloody hurt!" I say. "I'm still injured, you know!"

"Tough cookies," Zelda says, leaping forwards and rapping me on the knuckles.

"What the hell?!" I yell, dropping my stick and grabbing the injured hand. Zelda promptly picks up my stick and uses both of them to hit me on the head. "Rack off! Stop it!"

Zelda looks disdainful. "In Hyrule, they train with real weapons. If these were real swords, you'd have two less limbs and a head chopped in half like a melon."

Oh, that's disgusting. That imagery works way too well. It must show on my face, because Zelda looks angry now.

"Don't like it? Boo hoo, sweetie. And they call _me_ a girl,"

What the hell is going on with her? She seemed so sweet and nice! Now she's a freaking annihilator!

And in the time it takes me to think that, she's gotten in another two hits.

"For Hylia's sake, Link," she groans. "Just… take the stick and try not to get a concussion."

So I take the stick and watch Navi get the hell out of the way.

_/\\_|(O)|_/\\_

"Zelda, it's been an entire week! Why are we still going with this crap? You said I was good at swordplay now!"

"You just need to work on your defence," she adds as we walk, because there's always a 'but'.

"Maybe," I say scathingly, "if I had a, oh, gee, I dunno, a _shield_ or something I would be able to _defend myself!_"

"You'll get one when you need it," she says. "But we're not practising swordplay today. I think we're about done there."

"Thank Hylia!" I throw my arms in the air.

"I have a surprise for you today," she says as we enter the clearing. I skid to a stop.

"What the hell is _that_ for_?_" I ask in confusion.

'That' is a sleek brown animal with four hooves, a short, stubby tail, large ears and rope around its face.

"It's a deer," she says proudly. "I spent all week looking for it."

"I know what a deer is; what does one _do_ with it?" I raise both eyebrows, because I don't think raising one will convey my scepticism well enough.

"One rides it," she says, neatly climbing atop its back. "It's lucky that your forest animals are so tame. Otherwise we would have had to break it in and everything."

"Break it?"

"Break it _in, _you goofball," she rolls her eyes. "It's what they call it when you train an animal to carry people."

"Why does it have to carry you?"

"So we can get places faster," she says, demonstrating by edging it around the outside of the clearing. She sits on it with her legs on either side, squeezing the doe's belly with her legs to go faster. She pulls on the loose rope around the doe's muzzle to stop, a small rain of dirt spraying from the doe's hooves as it skids. She jumps off and lands neatly.

"Your turn," she says.

"Hell, no!" I take a step back. "Why do we need to get places faster anyways?"

"You never know. It's a useful skill. Here, I'll help you on."

She ends up pushing my butt onto the doe's back while I try to drag myself up without hurting her.

"Sorry, girl," I say as I finally get on. It's sort of comfortable, I suppose.

"I suppose that's not too bad," I muse.

"Okay," she says. "This is the bridle, or the halter" she indicates the rope wrapping around the doe's face, "and this is the reins." She holds up a loose loop of rope. "You hold onto this. Pull it to the side to turn."

She pulls the rope to demonstrate and I swear as the doe turns her head to the side.

"Eek! You can stop now!" I whine, clinging to what reins Zelda's left me. She lets them go slack.

"Okay. Just hold on and I'll take you around a few loops."

She ties another rope to the halter and tugs on it. The doe obediently starts moving.

"This is called a walk. Then there's a trot, which is faster, a canter, faster again, and the gallop, which is the all-out run."

"I really don't like the sound of that," I say nervously. Zelda scowls.

"You know, I'm starting to rethink my opinion of you. You seem less courageous by the minute."

Oh, hell no. She did _not_ just say that. So I unsheathe my sword from my back- the doe isn't moving that fast anyway- and slice the rope that ties her to Zelda. Zelda keeps walking for a moment, unaware, but then she notices the rope isn't stretched out anymore.

The doe walks past her and I poke out my tongue. This doesn't actually seem hard at all! I try to go a little faster; Zelda did it by squeezing gently with her heels, I'm sure. I mimic the movement and sure enough, the deer speeds up. It's slightly painful; jolted up and down repeatedly, but it's not bad!

Then Zelda cheats and smacks the deer on the rump.

It's not that hard a hit, quite soft, but that's not how the doe sees it. She positively bolts; I cling on like a dying insect, all limbs locked.

"How do I slow down?" I holler in terror.

"Stop squeezing!" she yells back. What?

Oh.

I manage to pull my heels away from the doe's stomach while pulling back on the reins; the deer nearly pitches me off with the sudden halt. Zelda helps me down.

"We'll get there," she says, and she looks proud.


	7. In Which All Hell Breaks Loose

**CHAPTER SIX**

**IN WHICH ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE**

It's got to be the coldest day of the entire year.

"You have it lucky, here in the village," Zelda says. Saria and I are huddled together for warmth; a bit selfish, maybe, but Saria's clothes aren't as warm as Zelda's or mine. I like this tunic; it's warm. Very warm. "Out in Hyrule, it's so cold that it's impossible to leave the house." Zelda continues.

"And it's not here?" Saria says stiffly, shivering. I loop an arm around her, hoping to warm her up a little.

Zelda snorts. "In Hyrule, if you go outside without at least two layers of clothes on this time of year you'll end up with frostbite. Your fingers and toes will turn purple and maybe even fall off. People can't have baths unless the water's been heated over a fire, and the beds are warmed with pipes of hot air from the furnaces."

"That sounds hella warm," I say, envisioning that level of awesome. Navi sneezes violently on my shoulder; I think she might have caught a cold.

"Sneeze the other way, please," Tael says quietly. Navi turns a dark navy in embarrassment.

"Hey, it's the Navy Navi," I crack, and Saria laughs, looking up at the fairy.

"Does she do purple?"

Navi promptly turns yellow instead- her version of indignation.

"No, purple, not yellow," Zelda giggles, amused by Navi's antics.

"I'll give you purple!" Navi snaps furiously, turning red with anger.

"But you didn't give us purple, you gave us red!" I say, acting confused and trying not to crack up.

She turns a dangerous black, smouldering, and I frown.

"But that's not purple either!" I say, prodding her.

She's trying not to lose it, and as she starts to fade back to cyan she reaches a point where- finally- she's a dark shade of indigo.

"There we go!" Zelda pats her on the head with one finger. "That wasn't so hard, was it? Can you do green?"

Navi turns suddenly black again, and I laugh.

"Hey, Link," Zelda says suddenly, looking up. "You know that song, the one you and Saria play? Do you reckon you can teach it to me?"

Oh.

I look sideways at Saria, whose face is suddenly wooden, and I wince.

"Um," I say cautiously, hoping I don't hurt her feelings, "it's kind of a special song, just for Saria and me. I'm really sorry,"

"Oh," Zelda says, looking slightly disappointed, "that's alright. Can I teach you my one, then?"

"If you want to," I say, feeling really guilty. She's volunteering to teach me her special song, but I'm withholding ours. Then again, it's literally Saria's Song. It's her decision, not mine, to make.

"It goes like this," Zelda says, struggling to pull her harp out of her Kokiri pouch. "These pouches are amazing and all, but it's no good having a bottomless pouch if stuff doesn't fit in the opening," she mutters, and when she finally gets the harp out she hits herself in the face with it. Tatl falls out of the air with laughter.

"Stop it, Tatl," Zelda says crossly. "Here, Link, these are the notes."

She plucks the strings, a B, a high D, an A, and then repeats before adding another line. I lift my ocarina and falteringly join in. I sound pretty sucky, but after a few rounds I think I've got it just about right.

"It's called Zelda's Lullaby, for obvious reasons," she smiles. "It's really, really important that you don't teach it to anyone else, Link, it's a very special song."

"Okay," I say, putting down my ocarina. It sounds really important to her. She picks it up and runs a finger along the old black wooden collar around the base of the mouthpiece.

"It looks like there used to be something inlaid here," she says. I take it back and look at it. Sure enough, there's a ridge of lighter wood, standing out against the black.

"Maybe," I say. "I don't know. I found this in the woods years ago."

"He was so impressed with himself," Saria smiles, elbowing me. I smile back, remembering how proudly I had marched into her house, brandishing the dripping-wet ocarina I had found floating in a puddle.

"Um…" Tael says, lifting his tiny head from the sideboard where he had been sleeping, "guys, don't look now, but there's a gigantic lizard in the woods…"

"What?" Saria says, standing up and walking over to the door.

"I thought I said 'don't look now'?" Tael mutters.

I follow Saria to the door. Sure enough, there's a tall, ugly reptilian creature in leather armour stalking towards the Great Deku Tree's meadow. With a shooting feeling of horror, I realise I've seen them before. My last little trip out of the woods, where the Lost Door came out in the freaky underground spring. It was terrifying; monsters everywhere. I saw Zelda and didn't even think; I just grabbed her arm and leaped back through the Lost Door before those bitches could catch me. I even shot a few with my slingshot. But why are they here? The Lost Door should have been impossible to find… unless they knew what they were looking for.

"Holy crap," I breathe. Fado's walking out of her house next door holding her violin, talking animatedly to her brother Makar beside her; Saria immediately grabs a random object from the sideboard and hurls it towards her. It smashes loudly at Fado's feet, and she looks up and nearly has a heart attack when she sees the lizard. The violin hits the ground as her limbs go slack in shock.

"It's a Lizalfos," Zelda says, quite calmly. "They live in packs and answer to one alpha. The alpha can be any sentient species as long as they have the Lizalfos' respect."

Fado slowly backs away, Makar's mouth is opening and closing wordlessly, but the Lizalfos suddenly spins and faces Fado, leaping forwards with an impossible grace. She screams and Saria flinches.

"Where isss it?" the Lizalfos snarls at her. They can talk? I didn't know that.

Makar's trying to pull her away but she's transfixed.

"W-where's what?" she stammers. The Lizalfos looks away in disgust.

"Isss not her," he hisses and moves on. I scramble down the ladder and run to Fado, who's shivering with fear.

"Are you alright?" I grab her forearms, shaking her slightly. Her eyes focus on me and she makes a small whimpering sound.

"What w-w-was that thing?" she stutters.

"Lizalfos," Zelda says again.

The Lizalfos has marched into another house; I think Mila's in there. Again, I can hear it hissing gutturally;

"Where isss it, girl?"

"H-help!" Mila screams. I draw my mother's sword.

"What are you doing?" Saria's voice shoots up an octave in panic.

"I can use this thing now, can't I? Zelda spent the last month teaching me how." I say, but Zelda grabs my sleeve.

"Link, no, look!"

I turn to where she's pointing and nearly drop my sword on my foot.

Lizalfos are pouring in through the woods in immeasurable numbers; they're freaking everywhere. If I attack them I'll be torn apart. Kokiri everywhere are screaming and I think I may want to join in.

"What is happening?" I hear the Deku Tree call. "Mine children? Come hither, yarely!"

Kokiri edge out of their houses and charge towards the meadow, still screeching in terror. I sheathe the sword and sweep my thick blonde hair over the hilt, so the Lizalfos won't see it, and sprint towards the meadow. Hats and bandannas are flying off everywhere; Mido's shepherding one of the younger Kokiri; she must be, like, six. She's dropped her stuffed Deku but she must understand the gravity of the situation, because she doesn't care at all.

When we reach the meadow, we all huddle around the Deku Tree in fear; the Lizalfos have followed us. The biggest one, who must be their leader, steps forwards on doglike legs.

"Hello, wissse tree," the Lizalfos hisses. "You have sssomething in thisss foressst that we want…"

"Art thou the alpha of these creatures?" the Deku Tree says. The Lizalfos grins evilly.

"No, old tree, I am a sssubordinate. Our alpha isss not of Lisssalfosss…"

"What doth thou seek?" he says.

"You know what we ssseek…" the Lizalfos says. The Deku Tree frowns.

"Then _thou_ know wot I cannot give it to thee," he says stiffly. The Lizalfos grins even wider.

"Then we sshall find it ourssselvesss!" he says loudly, and the Lizalfos pour out of the meadow. Kokiri are crying in terror around the tree, all clutching the bark desperately. Saria's fingers are locked around my wrist; Navi's a sick shade of green in terror, and I poke Zelda.

"Hey," I laugh nervously, "Navi did green for us."

She smiles weakly, but she's lost in thought. I peer down the corridor into the village; the Lizalfos are literally tearing everything apart in their search. The wooden grid around the garden where the vines are growing is shattered and thrown across the village; the bridges linking the skywalks are torn free and left on the ground; the plants across the village are mutilated and torn free. Even our beloved stage is smashed apart with their club-like tails; Timi's eyes are wide.

And then a Lizalfos emerges from Saria's house and it's trumpeting in joy, and my stomach drops as I realise what it's holding.

It's the Harp of Hylia. Zelda's fingernails latch around my arm and leave cuts; I don't care, because I'm just as panicked. Didn't the Deku Tree say that it could potentially destroy Hyrule?

The Lizalfos' leader returns to the meadow and looks Zelda right in the eye.

"Thanksss, my lady," it smiles, looking genuinely happy. Zelda swallows and stares back, nodding. Saria's head whips around from the Lizalfos to Zelda, horrified.

And the Lizalfos stalk through the meadow and are gone.

Deku come hurtling from the Lost Woods saying they went through a Lost Door, and we slowly build up the courage to leave the Deku Tree and pick our way through the wreckage. Timi's house is undoubtedly the worst; all the costumes and props he had stored away are thrown everywhere. In Mido's house, the chests are all open, hanging off their hinges, and his stuff is scattered out the door. The garden is completely ruined, shredded leaves everywhere. When I go into my house, everything is just… destroyed. My little pin board with drawings on it has been reduced to wood chips; my bed is literally cut in half. My clay pottery that Saria and I made is shattered beyond belief, clay dust everywhere.

Strangely, Zelda's bed hasn't been touched- only shoved into the corner.

Saria sighs.

"Oh, Link," she says, picking up a shard of the pot. "I'm so sorry,"

I swallow. "It's alright," I say, looking at the pot. "We'll just make another one."

When we go into Saria's house, I stop. Oh, sweet Hylia, this trumps everything I've seen so far. Mido's fairy, Neri, must have hid in here, desperate to get away from the carnage the Lizalfos wrought.

And now she's lying on the floor of Saria's house with shredded wings and a missing leg.

"Holy shit!" I say, dropping to my knees with such force I feel my kneecap pop. "Neri!"

Saria kneels beside me, crying softly. I gently scoop Neri up and she wails in pain and misery.

"Where's…Mido.." she gets out, and I feel my eyes filling with tears.

"Navi," I say slowly, "go find Mido. Hurry."

She's been huddled in my hair the whole time and when she pokes her head out and sees Neri she throws up; I don't even care that I've got fairy sick in my hair. It'll evaporate anyway.

"Go, Navi, please," I say, controlling my voice. The blue fairy wipes her mouth and flies away; a minute later Mido hurtles into the doorframe, hitting it with such force it's gotta hurt, and slips backwards, landing on his butt, gently taking Neri from my hands and staring, horrified, at her limp form, barely glowing magenta at all.

"Neri!" he wails, and it's the first time I've seen Mido cry. "Neri, no!"

The fairy is crying just as much as Mido is; and I'm crying and Saria' crying and _I want those Lizalfos dead. _And I'll be damned if I don't do it myself.

It's the first time I've ever felt violent towards something; a part of me is horrified at this newfound rage, the rest of me simply accommodates it.

"Neri, Mido," I say softly, "I never really thanked you for saving me, in the Deku Tree."

Mido doesn't even react, but Neri manages to talk.

"Wasn't… me… just Mido…"

"Don't talk, Neri!" Mido cries. "Stay still! Someone tell the Deku Tree, he can help her!"

Saria gently touches Mido's arm.

"I don't think anyone could help her, Mido," she says softly, looking into Neri's eyes.

"Please… someone keep… him safe!" she says, sounding anguished.

"I will! I promise!" Saria says, tears sliding down her face. I don't get it. How could this have happened? Surely the… who was the Lizalfos alpha? I…

And then suddenly the weak magenta light goes out, and Mido lets out an anguished wail.

And I hug him, and I think that maybe the jagged wounds between us are healing, but at a terrible cost.

"I'm so sorry," Saria mumbles. I'm aware my scruffy hair's probably poking someone in the eye, but it doesn't matter.

Navi flies closer to Neri, and bows her head.

"She flies among the stars now," she whispers, and I close my eyes.

And just when I thought that surely the world couldn't get any worse, I smell the smoke.

_/\\_|(O)|_/\\_

Any frost that may have formed from the cold is long gone. The cool green of the woods has been replaced by raging red and ashy gray; the calm birdsong by screams and wails.

"Somebody help!" a Kokiri screams, and we turn to see her trapped under a fallen log. Before we can get to her, the rest of her house collapses, and I choke on a smoke-filled breath.

We just watched a Kokiri die.

Mido's still clutching Neri to his chest, refusing to believe his guardian is gone. It's so hot now; the fire's reached the village, and the air is full of smoke and ash. Somi's howling in terror, dragging his unconscious twin; Mila's bleeding; and the Deku Tree does something I thought could never happen, was impossible, unfathomable.

He falls.

"No!" I yell, and Saria screams in horror.

The woods are burning. Kokiri dying. Smoke chokes our lungs and balls of flame rain from the sky. The Deku Tree, our father, is dead.

Goddesses help us all.

We race through the flaming woods, and I don't know where we're going. Our one place of refuge, the Deku Tree's meadow, is aflame; the Deku Tree… _dead. _There's a sick feeling in my stomach, and I don't think it's the smoke. This is all my fault. I brought that harp here, brought it with-

_Zelda._

"Where's Zelda?" I yell. "_Zelda!_"

"Link, we have to run!"

I stop, dragging Saria and Mido to a stop as well.

"Where to?" I say, and my voice cracks. "Our home is burning."

"I don't know," Saria whispers.

And then there's a cracking sound, and I look up to see one of the pillars that had supported the skywalk collapsing; I don't even think, I shove Saria and Mido out of the way before leaping backwards, hoping I'm not too late. The pillar hits the ground with an almighty crash, and for a few precious moments I pass out; when I lift my head from the charred grass again, I swear in pain. The gods-damned pillar's crushing my leg underneath it, and it hurts like a _bitch_. I grit my teeth; bloody hell, if it's broken I'm finished, I can't outrun a fire with a broken leg. I try gingerly to tug my leg free and immediately stop with a catlike yowl of pain, because it feels like I'm sawing it off. I let my face hit the ground; I wish I had landed face-up, and whimper quietly.

Where's Saria and Mido? I twist my neck and look up; Mido's got a long cut on his arm and Saria's barely conscious.

"Go! I'll be fine!" I yell, and Mido looks indecisive.

"I can't leave you there!" he says.

"Go! We promised Neri, Mido! Take Saria and run!"

He slowly turns, looking at the dead fairy in his hands, and slowly places her under his hat, where she used to roost, before scooping Saria up. She's stirring, and I slump in relief. She's alive.

But shortly I won't be; that fire's getting closer. I lean forwards, looking at the fallen log. I can't lift it off, I know that much. Rolling? I press my free boot against the log and attempt to shove it away from me.

Ow, _shit, _no, that's gonna break my ankle if it's not already broken. I am totally screwed. I cough as I breathe in almost pure smoke; everything around me is on fire. Ash rains down and lands on me; I barely notice it. I can't breathe, everything hurts, and I can't remember what actual air tastes like.

"Hylia, take care of Navi," I say, lifting the fairy from my hat. She's out to it; tiny blue eyes rolled back in her head, wings limp. She must have gotten knocked out when I did; I hope she's alright. Hopefully my hair cushioned the fall a little. What can I do to keep her safe? I breathe in and nearly throw up; the air tastes like evil, all choking and dark and wrong. I'm going to die.

And then there's a blast of purple light and the pillar shatters. Someone hauls me to my feet and I swear in pain as I put weight on my ankle. I turn my head to see my rescuer.

"Zelda! I've been looking everywhere for you!" I cry. She tugs me after her; Tatl's being carried in an abandoned hat and protesting violently. "Where's Tael?" I ask.

"I don't know, but we have to go!"

"Where?" I repeat my question.

"Away!"

And she drags me towards the entrance to the woods and I realise what she's doing.

"No! Zelda, we have to help them!"

"We can't, Link!"

I painfully dig in my heels- well, heel and try to pull my wrist free. I can see Saria, far away now, she's woken up and Mido is beside her. She's looking for me behind the pillar-split in half- I can see her.

"Saria!" I scream, trying to get her to help me. She spins, tracing my voice, and her blue eyes lock on me. "Saria! Help!"

Her eyes widen in horror and she starts chasing towards me, avoiding smouldering patches of wood, but Zelda's managed to drag me away, and then a flaming house collapses in front of Saria with an almighty crash.

"Saria!" I howl in horror and desperation. She's stumbling backwards in terror, her sleeve's caught alight. She screams, tripping over backwards, and tears it off as fast as she can, but even from this far away I can see the burns. Mido's trying to help her up.

"Link!" she screeches, almost as desperate as I am. "Stop! Zelda, stop! Mido, help him, please!"

"Link! Leave them!" Zelda snarls, dragging me across the entrance.

"No!" I snarl back, and I manage to grab the log before the bridge, holding on desperately. Mido's chasing at me, but suddenly Zelda lets go with one hand and a ball of flame lights in her palm; she hurls it at Mido, teeth gritted. He leaps back in panic and the fireball explodes in front of him, violent blasts of flame radiating everywhere. He's thrown backwards, landing crumpled on the ground, and he's not moving anymore.

It hits me that Mido may have just died trying to save me. If he's dead I will never forgive myself. Saria wails in fear, trying to stand but Zelda thrusts out a palm and a violent gust of wind throws her backwards.

"_Saria!_" I scream, and her eyes lock with mine just as Zelda nearly breaks my fingers pulling me off the log and drags me away, and then something cracks me hard on the head, maybe a rock or something, and everything sparks violently and goes a fuzzy colour I can't quite identify.

_Why?_


	8. The Hostile Takeover of My Life

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

**THE HOSTILE TAKEOVER OF MY LIFE**

**[/]{INTERLUDE-?}[\\\\\\\\\\]**

"Missstresss…" a Lizalfos said. "We reclaimed the harp, the one you wanted."

The woman with the shining eyes turned around to look at the Lizalfos, who stood nearly three heads taller than her. Someone of her diminutive size as an alpha Lizalfos was unheard of.

"Did you," she asked interestedly. "Very good work, give it here."

The Lizalfos held out the harp, and the woman took it. She had mud and ash under her nails. She lifted the harp, looking it over. Then she played three notes.

"Ooh, the song of the Royal Family sounds _beautiful, _on this harp. I have never played it on the harp before."

"We also brought you a hostage," the Lizalfos added helpfully, holding up a lantern. Inside it was a wildly struggling fairy, throwing himself against the glass.

"Ah," said the woman, bending to look inside. "Tael, how nice of you to join us!"

The fairy froze as he saw the woman's face.

"You?" he gasped. "But you're meant to be allied to Hyrule! It's in your blood!"

The woman shrugged.

"I believe it's time for a… change of leadership. The king has ruled for far too long, I think,"

"But you're his-"

"Oh, shut up," the woman scowled. "Don't you see? If something were to… ah, _befall _the king and his wife, I would be practically on the throne!"

Tael whimpered as the woman took the lantern.

"And if you ever want to see your sister again, you will do everything I say. And I mean _everything._"

**[/]{INTERLUDE-MIDO}[\\\\\\\\\\]**

"That's the last of the fires out," Makar sighed.

Mido sat down, lifting his hat and taking the limp form of Neri into his hands. He closed his eyes. When he had run to the Deku Tree, he hadn't even stopped to find his fairy. He hadn't even thought about her.

And now she was dead.

"Mido," said someone softly. He looked up to see Fado. "Can you come help me look after Saria?"

He nodded wordlessly and tucked Neri back under his hat, following Fado to a makeshift den that had been put together from the less-damaged wood and foliage. Saria was proving a difficult patient; she refused to let anyone treat the livid burns all over her arm and hand.

"She won't eat, or let us treat her wounds. There are many likely reasons, but I believe she is just being a disagreeable little shit."

She was sobbing uncontrollably, barely conscious, and Mido knew what the problem was.

"She… she doesn't want you to help her."

"Why, though?" Fado asked, grabbing the ointment she had thrown together from several different plants that were half-dead already. She tried to steady Saria's wrist, but the Kokiri girl knocked the tiny bowl from Fado's hands. Mido caught it and put it down on the table.

"She blames herself. Did you see what happened? Link got hurt and now she can't find him. I think he ran, with Zelda."

Fado frowned.

"I don't know him that well, but I don't think he would have run if Saria was in danger."

Mido looked down at Saria.

"I don't think he would either," he whispered.

How the tables had turned.

**[/]{END OF INTERLUDE}[\\\\\\\\\\]**

I'm moving.

I open my eyes and squeeze them shut almost immediately; the light is painful on my eyes. Where the hell am I? I try to recall the events before now, but nothing comes to mind. So I open my eyes again, squinting around, and my heart freezes.

I can't see any trees.

I sit bolt upright and then unexpectedly tip sideways; a wheelbarrow, I was in a wheelbarrow. I shoot to my feet, which hurts, turning frantically. _Where are the trees?_ Where's the undergrowth?

I stop sharply, my ankle twisting agonizingly, when I see the person who had been carrying the wheelbarrow and my hand flies to my sword, drawing it sharply. I remember now.

"Zelda," I snarl.

Zelda, who attacked Saria and Mido, when they were only trying to help. Zelda, who kidnapped me from the woods and abandoned the Kokiri to die.

She rolls her eyes.

"Don't start on me, fairy boy. I just saved your sorry ass, so don't start whingeing."

I take a step forwards, and my ankle nearly buckles underneath me. I lift it from the ground, standing on one leg.

"'Saved me'? Don't you mean 'dragged my unconscious body away from my home and left my family to burn'?"

She narrows her eyes.

"You don't understand, do you, you idiot. If I hadn't helped you, you would have died in those woods!"

"I don't care!" I snarl back, and it's horrifying to realise that I actually don't. I do not want to be alive if the Kokiri are dead.

I turn away from her, because if I have to look at her holier-than-thou face for one more second I might skewer her with my sword.

The second thing I realise is that my fairy is gone.

"Where's Navi?" I ask, not deigning to look at her.

"In the wheelbarrow," she snaps, cutting off the syllables barely after she's started them. I lean over to look in the wheelbarrow, balancing with my hands, and yelp in horror.

She's squashed Navi and Tatl in a jar. I snatch up the jar and try to pull out the stopper; the fairies inside frantically buzz to get out. I can't open it, so I crouch down- not easy with a broken ankle- and do my best to break it without breaking the fairies too. I end up with a few nasty glass-cuts, but it breaks with a tinkle and the two fairies flutter into the air. Tatl dive-bombs Zelda's face.

"You have a LOT of making-up to do!" she screams furiously, a dark black with fury. Navi, on the other hand, is a shuddering gray-green, and she flies into my face at high speed. I'm pretty sure my face is now sparkly silver from all the wing-dust that just got shaken free. I cradle Navi in my hands.

"I was…so worried!" she hiccups miserably, and I would hug her if I wasn't afraid of crushing her.

"Navi," I whisper urgently. I just had an idea. "I want you to fly back to the forest, see if everyone's alright."

"No…" she moans. "I'm not going to leave you!"

I look into her tiny eyes, and with a start realise that she's crying. I close my eyes, a tear sliding down my cheek as well.

"Go, Navi, and stay with them until I can tell you it's safe." I whisper.

"How?" she sniffles. "How can you tell me?"

"I'll find a way," I say softly, and toss her gently into the air. She flies lopsidedly away, and Zelda doesn't even notice.

And I frown, because I didn't realise that tears were made of glass, but sure enough, the tiny shape n my hands is solid. I sit down, propping my ankle on a rock, and try not to cry any more of the glass tears because they're bad and I can't drop myself into a hole of misery and _Navi's gone. _I can only pray that she returns with good news; what I want, no, what I _need _to hear; that Saria and Mido and Kiri and all the others are alive.

**[/]{INTERLUDE-THE GRAVE ROBBER}[\\\\\\\\\\]**

The grave robber looked across the Castletown marketplace. It was bustling with people; fragile, pale Hylians obsessed with their own problems. She slipped into the crowd, unseen, despite her odd attire. Her shawl was pulled over her face; a hood covered her hair. She found what she was looking for; the shadiest shop there was in the market. The Curiosity Shop.

She pushed open the door, which squeaked slightly on its hinges. A Takkuri was perched by the door; it looked unkempt and miserable. She walked up to the counter, leaning gingerly on the ragged wood. Splinters were a pain in the ass to get out of her fingers.

"Greetings," rasped the man behind the counter; a thin, bald man with a hood pulled over his face. The grave robber knew better than to judge his strength by his size; the man was capable of beating her in hand-to hand combat, and had done so.

"Hello, Sakon," the grave robber smiled charmingly. "I'm in the market for a book,"

Sakon raised his eyebrows. "I believe I cannot help you,"

"Save it, Sakon," the grave robber rolled her eyes. "I know you're a Blood Thief. You must have at least one empty journal you've stolen from your victims back there. You steal almost as much as I do, but with extra killing."

The man frowned. "Alright then," he said, disappearing into the back room and emerging with a stack of books, which he dropped with a thud on the counter. "Each is empty, I've checked. Hurry up and get out of my shop. You'll attract attention."

The grave robber looked at each book, assessing their appearance. Quite a few were plain leather, but two were not. One was a rich red with inked markings; the other a soft green with gold inlay. She smiled.  
"This one," she said, shoving the stack aside. Sakon's eyes glittered.

"I'll take thirty rupees for that," he said. The grave robber knew it was overpriced, but she didn't care. "Is that all, madam?"

She glanced to the door, where the violet-feathered bird huddled despondently.

"How much for the Takkuri?"

**[/]{END OF INTERLUDE}[\\\\\\\\\\]**

It's two days before Zelda unties me. Literally.

After she got sick of me attempting to flee every two seconds, she just went and got rope-from where? No clue. I was definitely unimpressed with the arrangement, but it's not like I had a choice. I got to stay in the wheelbarrow full-time; the stupid cow didn't even untie me to eat. She fed me, like I was two.

"Thank the goddesses," I throw my hands in the air. "Unfortunately, I can't even get _up, _because I can't stand on my ankle anymore."

Zelda frowns.

"What's wrong with your ankle?" she asks, tugging off my boot. I swear sharply in pain as she tugs, something definitely unprintable, and Zelda's right behind me. I look down; my ankle's like three times its normal size, and a technicolour mess of purple and dark green. It's kinda impressive, really.

"Holy shit, Link!" Zelda breathes. "When were you planning to tell me?"

I glare at her.

"I didn't think you would care, given that you missed it every time I swore when I walked,"

She winces, trailing a finger over it. "I can heal it, but it definitely won't set straight. We've left it too long."

I look at her.

"What's that mean for me?"

Tatl's the one who answers.

"You might have a limp," the fairy guesses, "which sucks, and it'll probably hurt. Like, forever."

I lower my gaze.

"Just do it, Zelda." I groan. I don't even care anymore. "It's too late for anything now."

She seems sympathetic. "I can also use a bit of magic to stop the pain, but it'll have to be object-based, something self-sustaining."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I ask, then swear as Zelda pokes my ankle.

"Sorry!" she says hurriedly. "It just means we have to cast the spell on some_thing _rather than some_one. _It'll draw magical power from the holder rather than the caster, that way."

"But I have no magic power," I say.

"Sure you do," she snorts. "Everyone has at least a tiny bit, if but enough to sustain the draw from object-based magic."

I decide to stop trying to understand.

"Whatever," I sigh, leaning back in my wheelbarrow, which I've nicknamed the Naughty Cart, and shutting my eyes on Zelda's doubtful face.

"Okay then," she says, "but this is going to hurt."

And then her wrists tighten sharply around my ankle, and every muscle tenses and I swear in pain. Holy royal shit, that _hurts!_ And then purple gooey liquid's dripping from nowhere, dousing my ankle, and then eventually Zelda pulls away, drying it with her skirt.

"Healing magic's always a little gross," she says. "Come on, stand up,"

And like I'm learning to walk for the first time, I wobble to my feet. I look down; I can notice a slight kink in my leg, right where the break was. And Tatl was right; it does hurt. But nowhere near as badly as it did before. And I can walk, which is a plus.

I teeter over to Zelda and back to the Naughty Cart, then look at her grudgingly.

"Thanks," I say, and sit on the ground cross-legged. She almost sits beside me, but seems to rethink it, sitting a few metres away instead, sifting through the grass distractedly. Tatl lands on my knee.

"I know what you're thinking, Link," she says. I look down. "You want to go back to the woods."

I guess it's kind of obvious, really.

"But don't you get that I want to, as well?" She sounds strained. "I don't know where my brother is, or even if he's still alive. But Zelda… she knows, Link, she knows what she's doing, and we have to trust her. Hate her, despise her, want her dead… but trust her."

"How… how is that possible?" I ask. She looks at me with haunted eyes.

"Same way I do it," she says, "because it's her fault Tael's gone."

**[/]{INTERLUDE-SARIA}[\\\\\\\\\\]**

It was two days before Saria remembered Mido.

_How selfish could I get,_ she thought, lifting herself to her feet and brushing her distinctive lime-coloured hair from her face. A good deal of it had been singed off in the fire, and long scars would mar her arms for the rest of her life. Kiri, still unable to talk from the smoke, was outside with a small group of fairies; the multicoloured light from so many fairies burned Saria's eyes. She walked shakily into the open, looking around the broken and scorched forest. There were still the cries of the wounded behind her; poor Soti was missing a leg entirely, burned off in the fire. Fado was resorting to keeping him knocked out; it was a miracle that he was still alive. How much longer, though…

She found Mido in the remains of his house. One wall still stood bravely, though dangerously angled; a convenient shelter from the wind.

"You look like death," he said, without looking up.

"Feel it, too," she murmured, sitting beside him. It was true; it was like every emotion was muted, shut off. Mido laughed shakily.

"You want to go after him, don't you," Mido said quietly, and his tone indicated that it wasn't a question.

Saria nodded limply, and Mido got to his feet.

"Well," he said. "Green Lady wanted me to look after him; I guess this is what she meant."

"'Green Lady'?" Saria asked. Mido shrugged.

"Long story." he said tiredly. "But if we're going to help him, we'd better get moving."

Saria stood up, filled with a new purpose.

"We'll need weapons," she said slowly. "It's dangerous out there. We can't go alone."

"Then we'll need the Kokiri Sword and the Fairy Bow," Mido concluded. "I've got my sling, but it's not exactly a weapon."

"Anything's a weapon in the right hands," Saria was already weaving through the burned village; locating the Kokiri weapons' place. She drew in a shocked breath, horror punching at her as she looked down. Mido swore under his breath, eyes wide.

The chest that had held it was ashes and the blade was a lump of melted metal. The bow was but dust. Yet another blow to the Kokiri; homeless, orphaned and defenceless.

There was a long silence as Saria ran a hand over the warped metal; it was as if the goddesses themselves were conspiring against them.

"Wait," Mido said sharply. "I have an idea."

Again, they were running; this time, to the remnants of Timi's house. Mido dug through the burnt and scattered props and costumes, throwing open a large chest. This one was singed but still whole; one of the hinges was busted, and Mido nearly crushed his hands when it unexpectedly dropped closed. He lifted out several prop weapons; some were just that, props, but others…

Laid out on the charred ground were three things. A knife made of a shard of stone, a hammer-like tool and a long dagger that looked to be bone. Saria scooped up the dagger; a straight object, with several holes along its length and… was that a mouthpiece?

"It's the Bone Flute of King Stallord," Mido said. "From _The Tale of the Fire Queen. _King Stallord used it to play the Sonata of the Night for the Fire Queen so that she could sleep."

A childish story, but Saria remembered it well. She had gotten the part of the Fire Queen, a mystical woman who missed her true love. Saria lifted the flute to her lips, playing her special song. The flute played slightly off-key; the notes sounded despondent and miserable, and her heart clenched when no response came. The song was meant to carry to Link wherever he was, through the enchanted bond between their instruments, but her ocarina had shattered in the fire, severing the connection.

"You're going after them," a voice said from the ashes of the doorway. It was by force of habit Timi located the door before walking into the wall-less house.

"I have to," Saria whispered. "He would never leave me alone out there."

"He wouldn't leave anyone." Mido added softly. Timi sighed, looking to the bone flute in her hands.

"Then you'll need these."

He dug his way through the ruins of his house, and right where the back wall once stood, buried under a mountain of ash and charred props, was two sets of clothing. He held them out.

"It's… it's ancient Kokiri clothing, from before the Kokiri were Kokiri." He swallowed. "It was a long time ago, back before the war. It's warmer than what you've got on. I can't stop you, but I can try to keep you alive."

Saria held up hers. It shared the green that was symbolic of the Kokiri; but there was a thick furry hood and what might have been a fur belt. She looked at Timi.

"Thank you," she whispered.

_/\\_|(O)|_/\\_

It fit almost perfectly.

Saria looked herself over. Green arm-wraps, painted wood resembling bones strung around her waist. Her leather boots had fur on the inside, which warmed her feet considerably. A hat reminiscent of a Skull Kid was perched atop her head; her midriff was exposed.

"Won't this just make me colder?" she asked. Timi frowned.

"It's the best I can do," he sighed, running a hand through his ginger hair. "I suppose you could put your other tunic on underneath, but then what if you need a change of clothes? Admittedly, Mido's is warmer."

That it was. It had a hood that was literally the head of some animal; its pelt, anyway. The front paws draped over his shoulders, claws and all, although one had been singed off. The rest was green, like Saria's. The fur was held together at the front, a bit like a shirt.

"It's a little big," he murmured. Timi helped him tuck the pants into his boots.

"It takes some getting used to, I would know. Don't worry, it's not too bad."

Saria looked to the sky.

"We have to go," she said, sliding the bone flute into her furry belt. "Otherwise we lose all hope of catching up."

Timi cast his eyes to the ground.

"I wish I could go with you," he said sadly. "But Mila… she's still unconscious, and…"

"We understand," Mido said, laying a hand on Timi's shoulder.

"Why would Zelda take him, anyway?" the tiny Kokiri wondered. "It looked a hell of a lot like she was kidnapping him, which is dumb, but-"

"It's not dumb," Saria snapped. Timi looked surprised.

"Why would she kidnap him? She's his sister!"

"She's not," Saria said, and the words tasted foul in her mouth. "We only said that because we thought we had to keep her safe."

"The… the Deku Tree… he _lied?_" Mido asked disbelievingly.

Saria swallowed. "We thought we had to protect her from the Lizalfos… but she was their leader, she must have been."

Mido and Timi both stepped back.

"Wha-?"

"How do we know she was leading them? How was she behind this?"

Saria looked at the two.

"Think about it," she said. "First we have Link conveniently stumbling across her during an 'attack' by the Lizalfos. He brings her here, and the Deku Tree says it's not safe anymore. He even gave Link a weapon- and you _know _how he feels about weapons. Then he got sick. And_ then_ the Lizalfos show up, and say… what was it? "Thank you," to Zelda, and she nodded back, like it was planned. Then when we got back to Link's house, her bed wasn't destroyed, but Link's was. And then the woods burned down- and the Lizalfos _can't start fire. _But Zelda can; she has magic, remember, Mido? She burned the ladder, so you couldn't get up. So what she wanted… Link must have something, something she wants."

Mido was pale.

"My goddesses," he breathed, looking sick. "That's what Green Lady meant! She wanted me to keep him safe… from _Zelda!_ He… whoever Green Lady is, Link's important to her! So whatever makes him important enough for someone like Green Lady to care about…"

"Zelda wants it," Saria finished. "And when we tried to stop her, she attacked us. Link… she must have dropped the pillar on him, to stop him from running… _oh goddesses, _Mido, _he knew. _He was screaming for us!"

She sank to her heels and Timi looked about to throw up.

It's all her fault," he whispered shakily. "Mila's hurt…Miray's dead… the Deku Tree is gone…because of _her_…"

"We have to tell them," Mido said resolutely.

And thus they gathered the Kokiri where the stage had once been, and told them everything.

"Why?" someone cried.

"How will we live?"

Saria looked at the Deku Tree and swallowed.

"The sap," she said. The chatter stopped. "We all know it's got magical properties," she went on. "It was one of the gifts sent to the castle for the birth of the princess. So if the Deku Tree can't help us…"

"We can't do that to him!" Somi objected. Saria stared him down.

"It's that or die." she said. "There's no woods to leave anymore; we all know what happens to Kokiri who leave the woods."

And by the time the sun had set, Saria and Mido had left the forest, armed only with a jar of sap, a leather sling, a stone knife and the flute of a man who had never existed in the first place.

**[/]{END OF INTERLUDE}[\\\\\\\\\\]**


	9. I Discover the Stoner's Thought Loop

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

**I DISCOVER THE STONER'S THOUGHT LOOP**

Zelda puts off using the charm. She reckons that if I keep walking on the bad leg I'll get used to it, and the pain will stop. She's wrong.

"Nayru almighty!" I swear as she twists my leg slightly. Tatl looks apologetic.

"Sorry, Link," she says. "But we have to try and fix it."

"Wouldn't have to-" I yelp, cutting off the sentence, "if you'd noticed when we first left!"

I've gone at least four hours without mentioning the woods; I think she's starting to relax. Good.

When she finishes the painful twisting, Zelda sits back and sighs.

"Dammit," she says angrily. "That's not going to heal. Stupid harp didn't say _anything _about broken limbs…"

"What the hell? Harp?" I ask, and then she goes to grab my pouch and knocks my leg sideways. My eyes water and I lose track of her answer.

"So, what've you got in here that we can use for the charm?" she asks, and tips up my pouch. Nothing comes out. "What? I saw you put stuff in here, where'd it go?" She looks inside, bemused.

"Give it here," I sigh. "You're not doing it right."

She hands back the pouch and I visualise all the stuff I can remember ever shoving in there, then tip it upside-down. It comes clattering out like a waterfall; half a thousand Deku seeds, my ocarina, plaited grass rope and other assorted crap. "You've got to know what you want. Surely you knew that, you have one."

"I always knew what I was looking for," she grumbles, sifting through. She stops sharply when she sees that green stone with a bronze frame, then gingerly picks it up. "Where did you get this?" she asks in disbelief.

I shrug.

"Gohma dropped it," I say nonchalantly. "Meant to ask the Deku Tree about it, but…"

Tatl brushes my arm with a wing comfortingly.

"Do you know what this is, Link?"

"Haven't the foggiest," I answer brightly. She looks incredulous.

"This… this is the Great Emerald, the Spiritual Stone of Courage!"

"And I'm Tatl, nice to meet you," the white fairy says scathingly. "What IS it, Zelda? We get it's a rock,"

Zelda shakes her head in disbelief.

"This is one of the Ancient Treasures of Hyrule. It's said that whoever unites the three Great Stones will have the blessing of the goddesses upon them."

"I could do with a little blessing right now," I snort. Zelda gently slides the stone into her own belt pouch.

"I'll take care of it," she says. I'm not sure I'm okay with that, but since I plan to split anyway, it's not like I'll ever get the other two.

She lifts something- an old Wolfos tooth, short but sharp. "How's this, as a necklace or something?"

I laugh. "That's a pretty badass idea," I say, and Zelda presses her finger against it, burning a hole through the top. Pulling a ribbon out of her pouch- one of the ones we took out of her hair when she first arrived- she threads the tooth into a necklace, then clasps it in her hands. Purple smoke curls between her fingers, and I can't help thinking that magic is hella cool.

She loops the now-enchanted necklace around my throat and I nearly mewl in relief; just like that, the pain's gone.

"I can't help the limp, but that's as good as it gets," she says, stepping back. I smile to myself. All set.

I wait, talking animatedly, the sun setting and us going to sleep, and late at night, when I notice that the fire's finally burnt itself out, I move.

Zelda's curled up like a cat next to it; she wasn't lying about the temperatures. The further from the woods we get, the colder it is. My teeth clack together as I stand up, careful not to wake Zelda or her fairy. I slip away, the darkness covering my movements. The moon shines above us; it's strange that it still rises, as if nothing's wrong. Can't the Moon Goddess see the carnage that's going on below her?

_I wouldn't go that way if I were you,_ a voice echoes. I look around, startled. To my left- I didn't even notice it, that's how focused I was- is a gargantuan red bird. It's bloody enormous! It's gotta be three times my size, I've never seen a bird this big. It looks at me with warm eyes the size of my spread hands.

"Uh… hi," I wave weakly, and the bird looks unimpressed.

_Don't go that way, _it says again.

"You're a bird. Birds don't talk," I say incredulously.

_I do._

"I knew something bad would happen if I left the woods! I'm losing my mind!" I throw my hands in the air.

_You're not crazy. I am talking._

"Just… go eat some giant worms or something!"

_Don't go that way, Link._

"How the hell do you know my name?" I ask, too tired for anger or other strong emotions.

_I've waited a long time to find you. You said I would find you here, and not to go that way._

"I'm going home, leave me alone, bird!"

_You also said that you wouldn't listen…_

I ignore the bird, who's preening a long, curled-up tail, and walk on. It'll take me forever to get back to the woods, but I have to try.

Walking has never been so tiring. I walk for _ages!_ The giant red bird's long gone; what the hell was his deal? But I know if I keep walking this way, eventually I'll find my way home. I know it.

I look around. I can't help wondering; where did all the trees go? There's barely any trees, barely any plants at all; just grass that swishes in the wind and a few scrubby plants. A bunch of people are riding what look to be squat horses along the field, and I can see a river in the distance.

Wait, people?

I wheel around; there's a bunch of men on tiny horses with long ears. I run-limp over to them.

"Uh, hello?" I call, and one of them hears me and pulls back on the reins.

"Hey, a kid," he says, and laughs like it's funny. I bristle.

"Don't call me a kid," I say crossly. "I'm plenty mature!"

"Oh," the man says comprehendingly. "So, where you from, kid?"

His gang are riding on, but he doesn't seem to notice, or care.

"I'm from the forest," I say quietly, "and I want to go home. Can you help me get there?"

The man grins.

"You're a Forest Child, the Youthful Ones," he says.

I feel uneasy, but I nod. The man holds out a hand and pulls me onto his squat-gray-horse with its black eyes and long ears, and rides up to the leader of the pack. Riding behind someone is different from riding by myself; with no reins or stirrups for support, I cling to the guy's back, terrified I'll slip off the animal's rump.

"Oi, Sakon!" the guy says, and the leader looks towards him. His eyes fasten on me.

"What do you want, Ragnar?" the guy called Sakon asks, looking me over. "Is that what I think it is?"

I frown.

"'It' is right here, you know," I say. Ragnar grins.

"Forest Child."

I smile awkwardly.

"Uh, hi?" I say. Sakon grins and I get a really bad feeling that maybe I picked the wrong gang of creepy night-dwelling Hylians.

Phrased like that, it sounds like the giant bird had a point. A really, really good one.

"Uh," I say, feeling slightly ill. "I just realised that I have somewhere to go!" I invent wildly. "I'll need to go, sorry, guys!"

I go to edge off the short-horse and suddenly my wrist is choked in a death grip. Ragnar's holding my arm tightly, and he's smiling, showing crooked teeth.

"You ain't going anywhere, _Kokiri,_" he snarls, dropping the grin, and then punches me in the head.

_/\\_|(O)|_/\\_

Just once in my life, I want to follow the phrase 'the last thing I remember' with something nice. Like picking flowers, or eating cookies.

I groan loudly. It's cold and my right hand hurts like an absolute _bitch. _My stomach twists and I sit up, throwing up over the side of whatever I'm sitting on.

It's a cold wooden table, and my legs are tied together with… bloody hell, what have I gotten myself into? My vision swims and I have the worst headache I've ever had in my life. I look down at my sore wrist, squinting, and nearly throw up again.

There's a big-ass gash in it and there's a tube tied onto it.

What kind of sick place is this? I follow the tube, and realise that there's a bottle on the floor. It's half-full of something; something red, and it's flowing from the tube, slowly but surely.

I actually _do_ throw up again when I put two and two together and arrive at a very unpleasant four.

I've never felt so sick in my life.

What the actual _hell _is this place? Why am I here? And what the _hell _is with the goddamn bottle of freaking _blood?_

I look around, dizzy as all hell, looking for a sign of just how long it's been. There's no windows, one closed door, no way of seeing out of this hellhole. It takes me a while- too long, my reactions are so dead- to realise that there's actually cuts on both my ankles as well, but those ones are bandaged up. I look up, and see two other bottles. They're not overly _large _bottles, but it sure as hell can't be good for someone to have _that much blood _missing. No wonder I feel so sick; it's a miracle I'm even still alive, at this rate.

I try to stand up, but my legs are still tied together. I press my free hand to my head, trying to think. My head's all muddled, and I keep losing thoughts halfway through thinking them. One of them is clear, though; _I really wish I had died in the fire._

It's a sickening thought, but it's scarily true. With everything that's happened I wish I had just died. Maybe if the pillar had landed on my head instead of my leg; quick and relatively painless.

I catch the thought.

_No. I have to find Saria._

And then I think of Navi, and I wonder if she knows. There's a sort of bond between fairy and Kokiri; Navi always knows when I'm upset or happy or anything. Does she know now, that I'm basically a dead guy on a table?

It takes me another few minutes to realise I've stopped moving, and I curse as I try to spur myself into action again. I feel so sick and I can't even remember sitting up. Did I sit up? Was this where I was put, just like this?

Another two minutes before it occurs to me to take out the tube on my wrist. I tug it free and drop it, wrapping my fingers around the wound. I can see the bandages… are those bandages? I think so… are bandages white? Or are they green… no, green's clothing. Or is it? Maybe tunics are yellow… I look down. What colour is that? Yellow? Maybe blue? Isn't the sky blue, or is it green? But if the sky is green, what colour is my tunic. I groan. I don't even know anymore. I _think _my tunic's green. I like green. It's a good colour. Trees are green, leaves are green, grass is green… and my fingers are red.

How long was I sitting here? I don't know. I give up and flop backwards on the table. Just a minute, to get my bearings.

Again, quite a while later, I realise I haven't moved in a while. How long?

I groan and press my fingertips against my eyelids, multicoloured spots dancing across my vision. How come we can see with our eyes closed? It makes no sense. One hand- my left, is it? I think it's left- is a bit sticky, and I open my eyes and look at it. My fingers are red. Why are they red?

Oh, that's right. I'm bleeding.

Maybe I need bandages.

**[/]{INTERLUDE-ZELDA}[\\\\\\\\\\]**

Zelda yawned and sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"Good morning, Tatl," she murmured sleepily. The fairy, definitely not a morning person, grumpily stretched her wings.

"I dunno about 'good'," the white fairy scowled.

Yep, not a morning person.

"Ugh," Zelda mumbled, getting to her feet. "Morning, Link,"

No answer. Heavy sleeper much.

"Oi, Link!" Zelda said, louder. "I said _morning!_"

She looked over to Link's self-proclaimed nap spot; under the shelter of the wheelbarrow Zelda had found way back when.

The wheelbarrow was right-way-up and Link was gone.

"Oh, goddesses," Zelda breathed. Tatl swore.

"He flew the coop," the fairy said, and she didn't sound particularly angry. "Can't blame him. You did effectively kill his entire family."

Zelda swatted at the fairy, who dodged the hand.

"We have to find him!" the girl said anxiously. "Who knows what might have happened to him?"

And then there was a rush of wings and a gigantic bird swooped low over her head, barely missing her, and landed heavily in front of her. Zelda screeched, falling backwards, and Tatl chimed in alarm.

"What the hell is that?" the fairy yelled. The bird cawed loudly, and it looked urgent.

Zelda slowly got to her feet for the second time.

"Hey, there," she said, reaching out to the bird, who was stomping anxiously. "What's wrong?"

It cawed again, still stomping, looking for all the world like a young child desperate to go pee. Zelda touched its beak, and then found her dress being snapped up by the bird. She shrieked as the bird spread its wings and took off; she twisted around and clung to its neck, terrified.

"Put me down!" she wailed, and Tatl hovered in place for a moment, stunned, before zooming after the girl.

"What is it doing?" the fairy yelled worriedly. Zelda squeezed her eyes shut, the wind tearing at her and threatening to hurl her to the ground. And when the bird finally landed, next to an old wooden house, she dropped to the ground and clutched the grass as if she'd never seen it before.

"I…love grass!" she panted, rolling over. The giant stork-like bird was leaning over her, looking at her intently. Its beak had a large turquoise rune carved into it; Zelda wondered if it was natural or not. Around its left leg was a tarnished metal loop with three upward-facing spikes; something might once have been engraved on it, but it had long since faded. Zelda narrowed her eyes, reaching up. Around the bird's breast was what might have been a harness. It looked horribly familiar…

With a shock Zelda realised that the harness was an exact replica- if upsized- of the necklace she had made Link just yesterday.

**[/]{END OF INTERLUDE}[\\\\\\\\\\]**

I have to get out of here.

By the time I form the conscious thought to stand up, I've forgotten my legs are tied together. Maybe I could cut them… with what? Hmm… I own a sword, don't I? I think I do. So where is it?

Right next to the bandages.

Didn't I need those? My head is so foggy it's ridiculous; I groan, and reach for the sword, even though it's probably not advisable for me to be handling deadly weapons in my current state. I go to pick up the sword and instead fall off the table, landing on the ground hard. Something tinkles; the bottle breaking. The sword's been dragged off the bench and the hilt smacks me in the chest.

That could have gone a lot worse.

I manage to wrap my fingers around it; the hilt's the bit you hold, right? I think so. I sit up awkwardly; there's glass and red liquid all over the ground. Why's it red? Oh, damn, I remember. It was a bottle of blood. That's gross. My hands are shaking hard enough to literally move the point of the sword up and down. It takes me forever to actually get the sword under the ropes; I tug it upwards, sharply, and the ropes split.

I don't know how long it's been, but it a hideously long time just to wake up and cut some ropes. I stand up awkwardly and nearly impale my shoulder trying to sheathe my sword. Maybe it's a better idea to keep it out, so I shuffle towards the door, slip over in the puddle of sick and nearly stab myself.

Then again, maybe not.

Three attempts later, the sword's back in its sheath, and I'm finally at the door. I open it, and am met with the sight of a very surprised man.

"What the-?"

I don't trust myself to draw my sword without beheading myself, so I kick. Hard. At his fluffy bits.

The guy goes quite a nice shade of purple- or is that green?- and drops to the floor. Huh. I giggle. That was funny! I step past him, stumbling over his foot, and limp down the hallway. The whole place is just a house, the way Zelda said they were in Hyrule. Nothing special. Just a house. And I can see a door with light under it, so I waddle over to it and open it, hitting myself with the edge.

"Ow!" I yelp, and step away. "Bad door!"

The door doesn't respond, to my chagrin, so I shuffle through the doorway and blink.

Ha! I knew the sky was blue! Told you so!

…or is that yellow?

I look up. Clouds are pretty, I decide, and watch a bird circle above. It's a very big bird, isn't it. It flies towards me and I giggle, wobbling on my feet, and it lands with a thud.

"Hey, birdy!" I say happily, and try to walk towards it before tripping over and landing on my face.

Hey, my hand is red. Didn't I fix that, with the bandages? They used to be white. Red is a bad colour for a hand, I think.

Someone was on the bird's back! They jump down, and they're saying something and rolling me face up.

"Oh, gods, Link! Link, can you hear me? Answer, dammit!"

I squint at her. Of course I can hear her, why wouldn't I be able to be?

Who even is she? I close my eyes sleepily. I'm too tired to deal with this.

"Nayru almighty, don't close your eyes on me, Link, come on! Link!"

I open my eyes again crossly.

"Huh?" I slur, looking up at the blonde girl. Now her lips are moving, but no noise is coming out. That's stupid of her.

_Keep your eyes open!_ A voice suddenly demands. I frown. I think it's the birdy. I ignore him, and then he starts again.

_I have not waited a thousand years for you to die on me here!_ he snarls. I open my eyes. A thousand years? What?

Hey, wait, now I'm on the birdy's back. When did I get here? I'm so confused, and some dim part of my mind has enough sense to realise that something is very, very wrong.


	10. A Stupid Red Bird Steals My Name

chapter nine

a stupid red bird steals my name

[/]{INTERLUDE-THE GRAVE ROBBER}[\\\\\\\\\\]

The grave robber stroked her new Takkuri. Sakon had not parted with it kindly, and she got the impression that she wasn't welcome in the Curiosity Shop again. The Takkuri was a great companion though; and its sense of smell was phenomenal.

She leaned against a building in one of Castletown's back alleys; she probably looked like some homeless hobo, but she didn't care. She was flicking through the Book of Mudora in her lap. About halfway through the book, there was another note.

Don't copy down any more, it said. Just five words in that childish hand, in perfect modern Hylian. She shook her head, bemused, and lifted the book she had bought from Sakon, as well as a quill, and set about copying the first page.

The ancient book and knowledge of the sage-warrior Mudora, it read. The grave robber had found three different sets of handwriting in the book; one was a sharp, precise writing, one flowing and loose, and Mudora's own messy scrawl. Most of the second half of the book, the part she wasn't to copy down, was Mudora's writing. She wrote for hours, lighting an old-fashioned desert oil lamp when the daylight faded. A Hylian knight patrolling walked by, but the grave robber pulled up her shawl and the soldier carried on without batting an eye. Just another homeless hobo in the streets of Castle Town. Because who cared about the minority?

It was probably around midnight when the snoozing Takkuri woke, with the raspy squawk that the grave robber took to mean 'I found something good!' Not expecting it, she flinched, tipping the ink over the new book, and swore. She shoved everything into her satchel, standing up.

"What've you found?" she asked, and the Takkuri flew awkwardly down the alleyways, and the grave robber could hear the screaming of a child. A guard spun around sharply, and another came jogging down the alley; the grave robber hid hastily behind a corner.

"What the flamin' hell was that?" the jogging-guard asked.

"It just… dropped out of the sky!" the first answered, sounding young and terrified.

The older spat on the ground. "Monster spawn, no doubt," he snarled. "Let's get it out of the city."

They chased after the sound, and the grave robber frowned. Pulling out her rope, she threw it around a tall pole with a lantern atop it, and clambered onto the roof of a house. Free-running was a sport of her people; no-one did it better than her. She leaped along the buildings, passing the two guards, and found the source of the screaming, leaping down to the ground and almost twisting an ankle. Not her best landing. She crouched, eyes wide.

It was a child. It wasn't Hylian; far from. A small form, with sturdy, scaly legs and four talons on each foot, long, scraggly wings- one clearly snapped inwards, under his chest. His eyes were squeezed shut, and his mouth was gaping as he screeched- a sound somewhere between the wails of an injured child and the sound of a hawk; instead of a hiccough, he hooted miserably. Rather than a nose, a hooked beak sat square in the middle of his face. The grave robber looked up, hearing the footsteps drawing closer. She looked back down at the injured child, and by her estimates he was around twelve. She frowned. A kid could help her a lot; they could reach a lot of places that she couldn't, and everyone trusted children. Not to mention the wings.

Decided, she hoisted the child onto her hip, careful of his broken wing, and managed to climb back atop the building just as the knights reached the spot. She crossed narrow stone awnings and swore angrily as her jumping ability was impeded by the child; she ended having to clamp his mouth shut with one hand to stop him from screeching. When she reached her alleyway, where she had stupidly left all her belongings, including the Book of Mudora, she let the boy down and cautiously released his beak and lips. He had opened his eyes and was regarding her with fear.

"Please," he whimpered, and he had an odd accent, one the grave robber couldn't place. "Don't hurt me…"

"Don't worry, kid," she said, digging deep to try and find that point of maternal care that all the Hylian women spoke of all the time. She wasn't quite sure if she had one, but she at least had to try.

"Look sharp," she smiled reassuringly. "What's your name, kid?"

The boy hesitated.

"Quill," he said finally. "My name is Quill, of the Rito."

The grave robber smiled.

"Okay then, Rito," she patted his good shoulder. "Let's take a look at that wing, shall we?"

[/]{INTERLUDE-SARIA}[\\\\\\\\\\]

Saria had barely left the woods when the cold hit her. It was destroying, bone-freezing, and she was almost certain that her hair had literally just frozen.

Behind her, Mido wasn't doing much better. He had wrapped his hands in the dangling paws of his fur shirt; he caught her eye.

"Is this really the best idea?" he shivered. Saria sighed, miserable.

"We have to," she said. She looked at her hands; the burn scars were livid against her pale skin, a horrible reminder of the fire. The fingers on her left hand were still stiff, painful and blistered. It was a damn good thing she was right-handed.

The two Kokiri moved onwards, Saria's arms protectively over her midriff. She briefly considered putting on her old tunic under the outfit to protect the exposed skin; but then again, she would need clothing if anything happened. Besides, she didn't trust Mido not to peek.

"S-s-Saria," Kiri chattered, cold. "This is stupid. Let's g-go back,"

"No!" Saria snapped suddenly. "He wouldn't have left me out there!"

Mido scowled.

"Just s-saying, Zelda's a c-c-cow," he muttered, shivering. "I'd bet she's warm right now,"

"Probably using her m-magic," Saria murmured.

It was several hours before they spoke again, all their energy dedicated to putting one foot in front of the other. When Mido finally broke the silence, it was only because the sun was setting.

"I d-don't know about you, b-but I don't fancy t-travelling at night,"

Saria sat down heavily.

"Where d-do you propose we s-sleep?" she asked, as sharply as she could manage with chattering teeth.

"How about here?" Kiri snapped. Saria turned, surprised. Ever since they had left the woods, Kiri had been short tempered and downright snappy.

And Saria didn't like it.

[/]{END OF INTERLUDE}[\\\\\\\\\\]

It's not so much 'waking up' as realising, 'hey, wait a minute, there's stuff around me, I wonder what it is?'

I lift my head sleepily and almost immediately get smacked in the head by Tatl.

"You're just like my brother!" she screams, and the sound hurts my head like you wouldn't believe. A hand shoves the fairy rudely aside and then my bones are being crushed by Zelda.

"Oh, my gods, Link!" she screeches, and I whine like a Wolfos at the noise. She may still be talking, I'm not sure, but if she is it's beyond my decibel range.

"You scared the goddamn hell out of me!"

Nope, still audible. It takes a moment to register what she just said.

"Whoa…" I sit up slowly, and Zelda grabs my shoulder to steady me. "Did you just swear?"

Zelda looks me over.

"Are you alright?" she asks, visibly shaken. I nod slowly and then something hits me across the jaw with great force.

'Something' being Zelda's palm.

"You goddess-forsaken, moronic, stupid-ass moron!" she screams, and I wince. What'd I do wrong again? I suddenly register her hand raised again and flinch backwards sharply. That hurt.

And then Birdy- shit, he was behind me the whole time? I probably wouldn't have noticed him even if he took a Giant Bird Dump on my head- leaps forward to stand over me, spitting in that way birds do, feathers flared.

Stop, Your Grace! he screeches, and Zelda- doesn't stop, and totally bitchslaps my new best friend.

"Oi!" I say, stumbling to my feet and having to grab Birdy's- hell, he needs a better name- wing to steady myself. "Link and Saria rule #72: never abuse the wildlife!"

Zelda stops when the gigantic bird makes a very loud, very offended noise.

She just hit me, he says, sounding shocked. She is very different to how you described her, Link.

"Stop confusing me!" I order him. "I've never even met you before… before…"

I trail off.

"How long was I out?" I ask, a sense of dawning horror coming over me.

"It's been an entire day, you dumbass," Zelda says scathingly, and I blanch. I turn to where Tatl is smouldering furiously. Then I turn to the enormous bird- who is also suddenly furious.

I say the first thing that comes to mind.

"Crap."

[/]{INTERLUDE-?}[\\\\\\\\\\]

The girl stood, arms crossed, with a frilly parasol held daintily between three fingers.

"Where's my Gohma?" she asked almost sullenly. The woman with the shining eyes flicked a hand.

"Dead," she said callously, ignoring the girl's horrified screech. "The boy killed it,"

"My Gohma!" the girl wailed, sinking to her knees. A tiny Gohma larva with an oddly coloured plume atop its body scuttled towards her, chittering curiously. After a moment, the girl waved her pet down. "It's okay, Gohmie. I'm…I'm okay,"

"That's nice," the woman rolled her eyes. "Can we get on with it?"

"What do you want then?" the girl asked crossly.

"I want two Gohma and an Armogohma," the woman said, and the girl snarled angrily.

"You let the last one die! Why should I entrust the lives of my people to you!"

The woman looked up.

"Because otherwise I'll kill you," she said, running a hand down her staff. There was a black fairy trapped in a lantern that hung from the end.

The girl frowned.

"I doubt they would like that very much," she said. "Fine. But if you don't take care of them, I'll have the Armogohma Queen eat you."

"Glad we could come to an agreement," the woman smiled sweetly, and the girl held out her parasol. The creature dubbed Gohmie skittered onto it, and the girl allowed the Gohma larva to rest on her shoulder.

"Goodbye," the girl said, whistling sharply. A Gohma approached behind her, startling the woman, and the girl climbed onto its back. The Gohma blinked its technicolour eye at the woman.

"Farewell, Agitha of the Gohma," the woman said, raising a hand.

[/]{END OF INTERLUDE}[\\\\\\\\\\]

After Verbal Abuse 101 burns itself out, Zelda busies herself trying to make something to eat from the stuff she got way back where she got the Naughty Cart rope. She did try to stick me in the Naughty Cart again, and tie me in, but Birdy kept getting in the way. I've already established that talking about what happened back there is a no-no, which sucks, because I think I may be permanently traumatised. I still can't get the image of those bottles out of my head.

I sit down in front of the bird, who offers me what I swear is a smile.

"Hey, bird-dude, do you have a name?" I ask. "I can't just call you 'Birdy' forever,"

He nods in assent. My name is Link.

I frown.

"No, bozo, that's my name," I say. "Bet you think you're real funny, don't you,"

He shakes his head this time. It is customary for Hylia's Birds to share the name of their riders, small-Link.

"Uh…I…whatever. I give up with you people. Just…what do you want me to call you?"

I believe that, in the past, you personally referred to me as 'Morrigan', if that suits you more, he says. I grin.

"That's a jazzy name," I say, ignoring that he just did the 'we know each other' thing again. "Morrigan. I'm going to call you that from now on!"

If it pleases you, Morrigan says. To me, it always sounded rather exotic. My partner, Storm, agreed.

"Whoa, wait, there are two of you?" I ask in surprise, and flinch as Zelda suddenly sparks a fire. I hate it when she does that.

There was, Morrigan says sadly. Storm belonged to my first rider's partner. She was a fine bird. I hope to find her again in this age.

"Where did she go?" I ask, and Morrigan looks down.

She died, as did I, he says, and I blink.

"Wait," I raise my hands. "You think you died? Hate to break it to you, Morrigan, but…"

Oh, I know I am alive now, Morrigan says quietly. I was dead for a long time, though. So long, that the curse took effect on my soul. I can actually feel my soul in two places. I…I do not know what the other half is. I have four legs and no wings, there. And there is a girl with fiery red hair, and I think I know her.

"That…that is terrifying," I shudder. "You're alive in two places at once? That's really disturbing…"

Also, I think I may be female.

"What- okay. Whatever! That's totally possible! Yep!"

So done with this shit.

Zelda pipes up.

"Will you shut up? It's a bird. He's not going to answer you!"

I doubt she's actually listening to what I'm saying.

"Actually, Zelda, he does talk. Just… for some reason not to you."

"Yeah, right, I believe that. Totally."

Morrigan lifts his head.

I think that Other Me is not too far away, actually, he comments. No more than a day's travel from here,

I turn to Zelda.

"Oi, Zel, can we go find Morrigan's other half tomorrow?" I ask. She whistles and holds out what I think might be bread with stuff. Very technical term there.

"Whatever," she sighs, sitting down and taking a bite from her own. She tosses a third one to Morrigan, who catches it and swallows it in one gulp. "I don't care anymore,"

I take a bite out of the thing and wave a hand absently.

"Okay, how calm are you?" I ask Zelda, stuffing the rest of the food in my mouth. Saria always said I eat like a pig. Zelda looks up.

"Fairly. Why?"

I finally drop the happy face I've been forcing for hours.

"Because I think it's time you told me what the heck is going on!" I shout, shooting to my feet. "You drag me from my home with some bullshit explanation about my dying, which I would have preferred to this crap! Then some asshole Hylians freaking kidnap me and steal my goddamn blood and you're mad at me? Because from where I'm standing this is all your freaking fault! If you had just- if I had never- I wish I had left you to get eaten by the Lizalfos! Go! Run back to Impa or whatever her name was! I'm sick of you expecting me to do whatever you say!"

Zelda's looking simultaneously hurt and angry, but I don't stop.

"You march into my home and take charge of everything! You brought that damn harp into the woods and you brought the Lizalfos in and you killed Miray and you killed Mido and the Great Deku Tree and-"

I don't even realise the tiny glass tears slipping out of my eyes as finally my composure breaks.

"-YOU KILLED SARIA!"

I hurl myself at her, and my sword is still on the other side of Morrigan but I don't care and Zelda's screaming as I rake my bitten fingernails down her face, and then someone- Morrigan?- is wrenching me backwards and I'm howling a ragged mixture of curses and accusations at Zelda and she's scrambling backwards and then a voice cuts through my head.

You are a coward!

I whirl to face Morrigan.

"Don't you dare call me a coward!" I scream at him. "You- you don't understand! I- she killed Saria, she killed my best friend, she-"

I break off into a hiccoughing howl of wordless misery, falling backwards and looking at the sky.

Where was Navi? I was still clinging to that one hope, that tiny thread of hope, that maybe Saria wasn't dead.

Because if she was… I would want to join her. Just like in The Ballad of Arialk, one of our favourite songs.

I sit up, slightly ashamed that I'm still crying, and spin so I'm facing away from Zelda, who is being tended to by Morrigan. Crossing my legs, I pull out my ocarina and lift it to my lips, positioning my fingers for the fast-paced Deku folk song. The words float in my head and I can't help but cry more, the glass tears bouncing off my ocarina with tuneful clicks.

Deep in the woods there lived a small monkey

Ar-i-alk the bright was he

And always by his side, a little Deku-she

Daughter of the forest king.

Wherever he went, she would surely go

Although where they ran off to, no-one knows

One dark day, shadow swept him away

Never the two again played

And Arialk, he ne-

I break off, shuddering. Suddenly the darker meaning behind the light, quick song is obvious, and I refuse to think of the rest of the lyrics. What I thought was a story of friendship between a monkey and a Deku Scrub- comparisons between Saria and I were scary- is…it's the story of Arialk being accused of kidnapping her. The 'shadow' is the hate of the people, for taking her. And…

And the princess comes home and finds Arialk dead.

I drop my ocarina, and even though logically it should have shattered it simply bounces. There's a dry sound at the back of my throat- somewhere between a sob and retching. Something nudges me, and I look up to see Morrigan looking at me sympathetically.

You are breaking inside, he says, and I shoot him a glare through eyes filled with tears, wincing as one of the glass tears hits me straight on the knuckle. I don't care what the stupid damn bird thinks.

"Go away,"

I know what may make you feel better, the red bird offers. I look at him with a mixture of annoyance and scepticism.

"Oh, yeah, like taking me back to the woods?" I snap, and Morrigan shakes his feathery head.

That I cannot do, but I can do the next best thing. Climb onto my back, small-Link.

I stand up and scramble onto his feathery back, ignoring Zelda's existence.

"Just get me away from her," I mutter. Morrigan nods and then spreads his wings.

As you wish.


	11. An Interesting Development

chapter ten

AN INTERESTING DEVELOPMENT

**[/]{INTERLUDE-FADO}[\\\\\\\\\\]**

The small, tattered group of Kokiri worked their way through the woods, shivering at the cold wind blowing through the ruined and charred trees. Fado straightened her bandanna and jumped as Makar behind her stepped on a charred branch, cracking it with a sharp sound.

"Don't do that!" she yelped, and Makar lowered his head.

"Sorry," he said quietly.

The sounds of Wolfos howling could be heard in the distance; Fado was trying very hard not to think about how easily they could be found by any of the hungry canine beasts. Usually Wolfos snatchings weren't all that commonplace, although 'Kokiri' was definitely on the top ten list of Wolfos food, but now that the woods- and therefore most of the natural prey- were gone, the forest children were keeping a keen eye out.

"Alright, everyone, I think we need to have a rest," Timi shouted. Fado made her way over to him as the Kokiri slid cross-legged to the ground in one smooth, synchronised movement. She sat down beside him, brushing her uniquely coloured hair from her face.

"We're not going to find anything," she said miserably, looking at the shorter Kokiri. "The beans and fruits all grew near the village. They're not going to be here!"

Timi looked at her sharply, tightening his grip on the staff he had used barely a week ago in the play. All the Kokiri were carrying makeshift weapons; most wielded their fruit knives or carving knives, although a few were left with odd weapons thrown together from what they had. Timi had helped, handing out old stage props that hadn't been destroyed- by the mercy of the goddesses, they supposed, most of the useful props like the clothing and fake weapons were left mostly unscathed. Most of the flax plants had burned- which meant that they were stuck with the Kokiri tunics they already had. Several of the tunics had to be cut into bandages and slings.

Fado herself had a sharpened Deku stick- a Deku Spear- slung from two lengths of cord looped through her belt; a leftover from _The Watcher of Time_… it must have been at least ten years ago, now.

"Timi, we have to face it. We have to find some other way of getting food!"

He turned to face her, brown eyes smouldering.

"Are you suggesting we start… _hunting, _like an animal or something?" he said angrily, and as if to accentuate his point a ragged looking Keaton loped past the group, stopping as Kokiri fell on it to stroke and coo over the ghost fox. Fado watched as it paused to accept the affection before loping away.

"If that's what we have to do to survive, then yes," she said. "We are _dying, _Timi! We don't have much of a choice!"

Timi stood up harshly.

"If you want to _kill _other animals just for yourself, then go ahead! Go!" he shouted. Makar blinked as Fado shot to her feet and stormed away, the Deku spear bumping against the back of her legs as she stalked off through the charred and broken foliage. She slapped the remnants of the fronds out of her path and soon vanished from view amongst the unrecognisable forest. She saw a Stalfos in the distance and made a point to avoid it- no matter how funny she thought they were, Fado knew that you don't mess with a Stalfos.

"Stupid Timi!" she spat at nothing in particular, kicking a burned shrub angrily. "How can he not see that we're all going to _die _if we don't do something?!"

She kicked at a few more objects- rocks, charred branches, an old Stalfos bone- and then stopped.

Fado was completely and utterly lost.

**[/]{END OF INTERLUDE}[\\\\\\\\\\]**

The wind ruffles my hair as I bury my face in Morrigan's feathers, feeling like some of my food might have climbed back up my throat and is kicking at its confinement. The bird spreads his wings, and I yelp in terror as he suddenly takes off.

"What the hell are you doing?" I yell, fingers knotting into his feathers in panic.

_I apologise. It's been too long since I've flown with a rider._

"Put me down, you crazy oversized red Cucco!" I howl.

Well, he got one thing right. At least I'm not crying anymore.

_Just hold on. You used to love doing this._

"For the love of-"

I break off as Morrigan suddenly dives, a screech tearing out of my throat. I can barely see Zelda anymore; a speck watching- is it my imagination?- with wide, shocked eyes.

Morrigan beats his wings swiftly, propelling us higher, and I stop looking down and start looking up.

And all the breath goes out of me as I realise just where we are.

I'm flying.

"Oh, my light," I breathe, and slowly my fingers unknot themselves from Morrigan's feathers. He turns his head to offer me a bird-ish smile.

_You are enjoying the flight? _Morrigan asks, sounding proud. I nod carefully, looking around in awe. The sky… wow.

"Morrigan, fly higher!" I suddenly say, and he offers another birdy smile.

_It has been too long since I have heard your enthusiasm, _he says contentedly, and obediently wings higher and higher, and the clouds are right there! I reach out to touch one, and jump when my hand goes right through.

"Clouds aren't solid?" I ask, voice a whisper. I reach out again, and clouds are very wet, I decide, because my hand comes away covered in dew. "Can we go through?"

Morrigan flies higher and I shiver as we fly through the puff of moisture, above the clouds, and it is glorious. The clouds stretch on forever looking almost like ground, and the sky is beautiful.

"Oh, Morrigan, this is amazing!" I cry, now holding on just with my legs. "It's just…it's…I…"

He flies ever higher, high enough that the sky looks purple, and I gasp. The horizon…my gods, the horizon…it's…it's… _round. _The world…it's _round. _The world is round!

"It's round, Morrigan! The earth is round! How- how is it round?"

_Perhaps the goddesses of old fancied it this way._

I lean back, letting the wind blow back my shaggy hair. Wow. This is awesome. Even though I feel a little light-headed- maybe because OH MY LIGHT WE'RE FLYING- I still can't believe that this is actually happening.

The light-headed feeling is actually a little uncomfortable, like little Keese stomping on my head.

"Morrigan?" I say, concerned. "I have a headache…"

_Hmm? _Morrigan says absently. I lean forwards on his back, resting my head on his feathers. My lungs feel tight and uncomfortable. And I put two and two together; what happens to the air this high in the sky?

"Can-can we- Morrigan…"

I don't think the bird even notices when I lose my grip and slide off his back.

_/\\_|(O)|_/\\_

Well, I can breathe again.

I'm lying on something soft , soft and- _moving? _I open my eyes- Din, I'm sick of waking up from unconsciousness, that's like three times in one week, what the heck- to see the clouds. Way above me. I roll over and almost roll straight off Morrigan's back.  
"Crap!" I holler, snatching at his feathers to stop myself. He turns his head to look at me.

_Are you okay? _he asks softly. I nod. _I'm sorry. I forget that Hylians no longer possess the lungs they did in my age. When they lived in the sky, that is. I should have realised._

"It's fine, Morrigan," I say, clearing my throat. Ugh. Hating life right now. "Just…can we go down now?"

He nods and tilts a wing downwards, and we head back to where Zelda is curled up, asleep. It's not long before I join her.

The next morning, I'm awake before Zelda is, and I lay on my back for a few hours, contemplating. Zelda wants her harp back. I want to go back to the woods- I want the fire to never have happened. How can I persuade her to use her magic to regrow the forest? Is that even physically possible?

And then my eyes alight on Zelda's satchel, beside the Naughty Cart, and the pieces snap into place. I have a plan. Now I just have to wait until Zelda wakes up…

Almost an hour later, I'm sitting in front of her. "Right," I say as Zelda looks through her bag for something edible. "This is how this will work."

She looks up. "You can't go back," she says. "The woods were destroyed,"

"I know," I respond, and she looks surprised. "You want your harp back. If you want me to help you, you have to do something for me."

She sits back, letting the satchel fall. "And what's that?"

I pick up her satchel and pull out the emerald. "You help me find the other two, and we use the blessing to restore the forest and the Kokiri."

Zelda's eyes widen. "Link, you can't be serious! Do you know how difficult it'll be to find them? We don't have the time! We need my harp!"

I cross my arms. "I'm not going to help unless you promise we can find the other two Spiritual Stones. Otherwise, say goodbye to your harp."

Morrigan takes the moment to interject, knowing Zelda can't hear him.

_I must admit, that's actually a very good idea,_ he says, and I nod briefly before looking back at Zelda.

"Well?" I ask, tapping a foot. She throws her hands in the air.

"Alright. You're lucky I'm well read. I already know where the second stone is."

I grin. "No way,"

She shakes her head. "In Tal Tal, inside the Romani Lon Wall."

"How far away is that?" I ask. She sighs, taking her satchel back and resuming her search for food.

"On foot? Almost two weeks' travel. And that's without stopping at all,"

I frown. Two weeks is a long time.

_If I may, _Morrigan interjects, _how long by air?_

A smile spreads across my face as I catch his meaning.

"Hey, Zel," I say, and she huffs and puts down her satchel again.

"What?"

"How about flying? How long then?"

"What's the point of- _oh._"

She looks at Morrigan. "You could fly with both of us at once?"

_I used to fly with three riders- two adults and their child. Four, after the second child was born._

"He used to fly with four," I abbreviate. "He says he can do it."

"How do you hear him?" Zelda asks. "Why can't I?"

_Hylia's Bond, _Morrigan moves his shoulders in what might be a shrug. _Were Storm here, you would be able to converse with her._

"No clue," I answer instead. Morrigan frowns.

_That's not what I said, _he says, pouting. I laugh, patting his beak.

"Yeah, I know. Layman's terms, Morrigan, layman's terms."

"I think we can shave it down to half. Maybe five days? Not so bad.

Zelda pulls out what appears to be a mouldy sandwich.

"But first, I think food is our first priority."

She pulls out a map, spreading it across the ground.

"That's from the shop," I say. "When'd you buy that?"

"Greenleaf," she says. "Traded a gold bracelet for it. Overkill, but Impa had all my rupees."

She points to a spot between 'Lost Woods' and a dot labelled 'Lochmede'. "We're here, and..." she moves her finger to the "Lochmede" dot. "Can you take us there, uh…"

"Morrigan," I supply.

"Can you fly us to Lochmede, Morrigan?"

He looks at the map.

_Please, _he scoffs. _I could get you there before midday. Climb on._

"He reckons he can get us there by midday," I say, grabbing my hat from the Naughty Cart. There's a squeak of surprise from the hat, and I open it to find a drowsy Tatl inside. "Wakey wakey, Tatl," I smile, and she slowly flutters out. I put my hat on my head. "We're going to Lochmede."

"Where's that?" she yawns.

"Not long from here. We're flying, with Morrigan- the bird."

She frowns, fluttering over to Zelda.

"What're we gonna do with the wheelbarrow?" the fairy asks sleepily. I look at it.

"Crap," I say. "Didn't think about that,"

"Could Morrigan carry it?" Zelda asks.

_Not without breaking it when we land, _he says.

"He'll squish it when we land, he reckons."

"I guess we could leave it here. I didn't trade much for it, just my earrings."

I frown.

"Didn't even notice those were gone, to be honest. What'd you do with the heather?"

"Left it on. Told the man it was a fashion statement. He gave them to his wife."

"That's nice," I say. "Are you sure we can leave the Naughty Cart behind?"

"Naughty Cart?" Tatl asks. If she had eyebrows, they would be raised. I can sense it.

"Link," Zelda says, "It cost the equivalent of ten rupees. You could cut the grass around here and find ten rupees."

"Why are there rupees in the grass?" I ask, surreptitiously nudging the snow-covered grass with my boots to look for rupees.

She shrugs. "People drop them, kids forget their stashes, sometimes they just randomly show up. Apparently Piccori like to mess with people by putting rupees and stuff in pots."

"So we're set?" Tatl asks. I look to Zelda, who nods. I stop shuffling my feet when I realise that Morrigan is looking at me, slightly amused.

"Right," I say, hoisting myself onto Morrigan's back and holding a hand out to Zelda. She takes it, pulling herself onto the bird's back in front of me. I stuff my hat in my belt; I don't trust it to stay on. Windsock and all.

"Listen, Link…" Zelda says softly, as Tatl nestles in my hair. "I…I'm sorry, for…for all the stuff I've done. It's…it's hard to explain, but the harp…it gives me dreams, and the dreams come true."

I frown, but keep silent as Morrigan spreads his wings and we take off.

"And for the last week, every night, I've dreamed of your death."

I swallow. "Oh."

"The first one was in the fire. So, I took it on myself to prevent it. That's why I pulled you from the forest. Originally, we were going to go back as soon as the fire was out, but…that night, I dreamed again, and this time there was a Wolfos, and it killed you. The night after, you fell from wooden scaffolding, trying to rebuild in the forest. No matter what I did, every plan to return you to the forest, they always ended in you dying. And then, I decided to take you with me to get the harp…and the dreams changed."

"How?"

"I saw you with Hylians and Gorons and Zora. I saw you holding back an entire hoard of Stalchilds just by playing a song. I saw you fight a monster the size of a house, breathing fire everywhere. But never once did you die. I knew then that I had made the right choice."

I fight down a sense of betrayal.

"What about Saria, and Mido, and the Kokiri?"

"Saria and Mido were alive, in all of my dreams but one. The one with the Wolfos- she tried to fight it off before it killed you. She's safe, Link. Saria's safe."

I can feel tears filling my eyes.

"You-you're certain?" I whisper.

"I have never been more certain in my life," Zelda says softly, and I hug her.

"Thank you, then," I say. "That's all I could ask of you."

She shakes her head.

"I should have tried to stop the fire in the first place," she says quietly. "I knew it would happen, but I did nothing to stop it."

"You knew they would take your harp?" I ask.

"Yes. That's why I put it in Saria's house; in the dream, they found it in yours, not Saria's. I thought it would be safe there. Every tiny detail counts; by knowing the future, I had already changed it."

I swallow.

"What about Neri? Did you know about that?"

She looks back at me.

"No. I saw her hide on a shelf in your house. A consequence of moving the harp, I suppose. I didn't know about the Deku Tree either. I swear, if I'd have known, I would have done something, I promise I-"

"Zelda," I interrupt. "Please, don't…it's…it's in the past now. When we find the Spiritual Stones, we can bring the Deku Tree back. We can bring Miray, and Neri, we can bring them back. Everyone."

"Okay," Zelda says, not reassured. She rubs a spot on her elbow.

"Zelda," I say suddenly, "where were you when the fire started?"

She stiffens.

"In your house."

"Why'd you go there, though? Why didn't you stick with us?"

She looks around at me.

"Because I saw Saria kill me."

I stare.

"_What?"_

"I'd have to agree there," Tatl says sceptically. "_What?_"

Zelda shakes her head.

"She thinks I kidnapped you and set the fire."

"The first one's kinda true, I guess," I say, "but the second? Why would you set the fire?"

Zelda smiles wryly.

"You Kokiri. You have no clue how the Hylians think. So sheltered, so innocent. You know nothing of magic and darkness. All you know is the forest."

"What are you trying to say?" I demand. Zelda gives me a slightly demented smile.

"I _did _set the fire. Oh, I definitely didn't mean for it to rage out of control like that. It wasn't meant to kill anyone."

I snarl, nails digging into her arm.

"What? Why would you do that?" I snarl, suddenly enraged again.

Zelda tilted her head.

"So I could change the future. Because the first dream I had? _Much _worse than losing the harp, because they took something else. I set the fire so they would get out of the forest, and wouldn't stop long enough to sense it."

"What were they going to take, huh?" I snap. "Explain! Now!"

Zelda sighs.

"Your ocarina?" she says, and I frown. What's that got to do with anything? "It's an heirloom from the dawn of Hyrule, said to be carved from the Timeshift Stones by the Chosen Hero himself. That's the Ocarina of Time."

"_What?_" I gawk, scrambling to pull out my ocarina. "But that's the second of the two that the Deku Tree told me about!"

"That's not all," Zelda says grimly. "There's another reason, another reason that the Ocarina of Time was so revered.

I don't believe it. I shouldn't be even touching this! This- this is one of the sacred treasures! I've dropped it in mud, I've thrown it around, I've-

"No-one's ever borrowed your ocarina, have they?" It's not a question.

"Uh…" I think back. "No. Saria stole it once, but no-one's ever played it."

"That's because they _can't. _No-one has ever been able to play it, not even the Chosen Hero himself. It's said that only one who is both with Hero's Spirit and Time's Blessing can play it.

I nearly drop the ocarina off the side of Morrigan.

"You can't be serious, you aren't saying-"

"Link, shut up," Zelda says warmly. "There's no doubting it. You're the Hero of Time."

* * *

**A/N: Surprise! **

**Responding to reviews from last chapter;**

_**Machina per Dei: **_**My headcanon is that there are quite a few people caught in Demise's curse. I mean, the dude was dying. I doubt he had the precision to curse specifically three people, one of which wasn't even present at the time. And it'd make sense with the half-billion Fado's and Impa's...**

_**Meadow of Sparkling Starlight:**_** Well, it just got even more interesting, didn't it xD Zelda as a character is all over the place, too. Does Hyrule have crack? If it does, she's probably on it.**

_**NekoRin:**_** My favourite Vocaloids are probably the Kagamine twins and Megpoid Gumi. Especially Gumi Native. So sweet! Also very grunge-y sometimes; have you heard "Wildfire" by VocaCircus? Very grunge-y ^^**

_**ShyEnderGirl:**_** Oh, dang, was that your hat I just got hit in the face with? xD Trust me, this plot is a lot deeper than it looks. (Hint: involves time travel and masks)**

**Thanks for reading with me! Review, peeps, it makes me happy and also brightens up my day after maths.**

**...**

**I have double maths tomorrow.**

**Oh no.**

**Please review so I can be in a good mood!**

**-Dragon Lady**

**(who will change her username to Electronic Ink next chapter)**


	12. Lochmede

chapter eleven

Lochmede

**[/]{INTERLUDE-SARIA}[\\\\\\\\\\]**

The wind bit at Saria, savage Wolfos scoring their teeth across her stomach, her back, her fingers, every bit of skin they could reach. It howled in her ears, frost slicing into her face, and tore off her hat, blowing it far behind her. The Kokiri girl didn't have the strength to go back for it.

"M-Mido," she tried to call, her voice barely a whisper. She hadn't eaten for days- stupidity, on her part, along with her unwillingness to eat meat. Mido didn't even hear her as they dragged their feet. Saria cursed her naivety; she had taken on this quest without the slightest idea of what it would entail. Stupid little girl. They would die. Whether by cold, by starvation, by thirst, by wild animal, by the curse that struck down Kokiri who left the woods, they would die. Frozen fingers fumbled for the jar of sap hanging off her belt, and she lifted it to her mouth, shuddering at the taste and at the foulness of what she was actually doing. She was effectively drinking her father's blood, and she barely got down a sip before her gag reflex kicked in and she gave up, wiping a hand across her wind-burnt lips.

She squinted. In the distance was a small, bobbing light, moving towards them.

"K-Kiri?" Saria whispered. "What's that?"

The fairy lifted her head and fluttered into the air, squinting and struggling to fly against the wind. The light was blowing towards them with the gale, and Kiri's eyes widened as the light hit her and knocked her to the ground. Saria stopped.

"N-n-Navi?" she stammered, not believing it. "N-Navi!"

The blue fairy struggled back into the air, catching hold of Saria's hair to prevent herself being blown away.

"You're alive," the fairy said, in a cross between joy and weariness. "You're alive…"

Navi sat on Saria's shoulder and went to sleep. Saria blinked before dragging her feet a little faster to catch up with Mido, who turned to look at her.

"I c-can't do this anymore, s-Saria," Mido shivered. "T-too cold,"

Saria dropped to her knees, strength spent. They would never find him.

"N-Navi," she whispered, waking the exhausted fairy. "Is-is he alive?"

She couldn't even say his name in fear. Slowly, the fairy nodded, and Saria smiled faintly before passing out in the snow. Mido's eyes widened.

"S-Saria! Saria, wake up! _Help! S-someone help!_"

He could hear low voices and see shadows against the gray ground.

"_Help!_"

The figures turned to look just as Mido followed Saria face-first into the snow.

**[/]{END OF INTERLUDE}[\\\\\\\\\\]**

The town of Lochmede is sprawling, a mess of stone streets, thin alleyways and blocky, unnatural houses. Standing over it all, like a proud parent, or some imitation of the Deku Tree, is a massive building the likes of which I've heard of in our plays- a castle. Hylians, with their thin little ears and reedy voices, bickering at stalls. A magician, throwing balls of fire up and down. A few guards, squinting up at Morrigan and trying to figure out what exactly he is.

Morrigan sets down just outside the town, and I slide off his back, still cradling the ocarina.

"Okay," Zelda says, "welcome to Lochmede. Morrigan, can you stay out of sight?"

_I think I can manage it, despite being a giant red bird, _he says wryly.

"He says yes," I offer. Zelda nods, and I carefully slip the ocarina into my belt. Zelda plaits her hair as we walk, one hand dipping into her belt pouch. She drops a gold bracelet into my hand.

"Right," she says, "first things first, people will be trying to sell you stuff. Don't buy it unless it's important, because we have basically nothing to trade. That's all we can afford to spend here, until we manage to find out where Impa is. I mean, unless we trade Tatl."

"Hey!"

"Which brings us to rule number two; keep an eye on your stuff. People are light-fingered in Lochmede, and they'll steal your sword or your pouch or even Tatl. Fairies are worth money."

"That's disgusting," I murmur, sliding the bracelet into my belt, and Tatl immediately perches in my hair, wriggling under my hat.

"Damn straight that's disgusting. You guys can fend for yourself. I'm staying here," she says crossly. I fix my hat as we approach the gates. I stop. A person dressed in shiny metal and holding a spear looks at us.

He looks so…so _tall! _Is this what an adult looks like? His arms and legs are so long and- Din, is that _hair _on his _face? _Like…actually on his _face_?

"Do all adults look like that?" I hiss to Zelda. She nods as the guy holds up an arm.

"Sorry, could you stop for a moment? Where are your parents?" he asks. He must be in charge of guarding the town. Like a Deku Scrub in the forests.

"Um," I say intelligently, but Zelda takes charge.

"We're on our own, sir, but we're fine. My brother looks after me!"

The man turns his gaze on me. "A sword? I apologise, it was wrong of me to treat you like a child. Welcome to Lochmede, and enjoy your stay!"

I like this guy. Zelda goes to walk past, but I tug on his sleeve.

"Excuse me," I say awkwardly, "can I ask a question?"

"Sure, ask anything," he responds.

"What's the big castle over there?" I point to the mammoth building. The guy raises an eyebrow.

"You don't know? Have you never been out of your hometown? That's the Library. If you're lucky you'll see Lady Seres in the windows. She knows everything there is to know!"

He looks up again, as if saying _go on, scoot, kid. _I oblige, racing after Zelda.

"You could have asked me that," she says crossly. I shrug.

"Sorry if I don't trust your authority after you tell me you set a forest on fire," I say lightly. She scowls.

"How long are you going to give me crap over that?" she asks, annoyed. "I told you! I didn't mean to burn down the whole village! I thought I had it under control!"

I shake my head, looking around at all the fussing Hylians and the people shouting.

"We sell the best pottery in Hyrule!"

"Come here for all your garden needs!"

"Cats! Dogs! Molfos! Even dragon hatchlings, all at a great price!"

I stop, looking back at the last one, walking closer. Rows and rows of cages, cold metal, and dozens of miserable looking animals peering up at me.

"What you looking for, boy? Dog? Maybe something a little more…exotic?"

He pulls open a cage and pulls out the squealing occupant- a ruddy-hued, snake-looking thing with two spindly arms and curling grey horns.

"This'll be what you're wanting, boy. A dragon hatchling, caught from Death Mountain itself. Won't find any animal that can keep better company."

It whines plaintively, a sad sound, and I gingerly reach out to pet the dragon. It purrs as I run my hand along a tuft of strangely hot fur on the back of its head.

"You look like you travel, boy. With this little bugger around, you won't need to light fire, either. It'll keep you warm just being near him! He might be pricey, but they're the best pet you can get."

I look down, and the little dragon whines. I feel so bad for him, but Zelda said not to buy anything we didn't need. I think a pet comes under that category, so I reluctantly shake my head. The guy frowns.

"Fine then," he says, grip tightening on the dragon as he goes to put the little reptile back. The dragon screeches, suddenly panicking, freaking out entirely and writhing around. He looks straight at me, pleading, begging, whining loudly. I squeeze my eyes shut.

"Wait!" I say, and the guy looks up from his struggle to put the dragon away. "I don't have any rupees on me, but will this do?"

I pull out the gold bracelet Zelda gave me, and the man's eyes light up.

"Sure it will," he says, holding out a hand. I drop the bangle into his palm, and he holds out the dragon in return. "His name's Volvagia. Change it if you want, but I doubt the little bugger will answer to anything else, Don't worry about feeding 'im, he'll really eat anything. Hopefully he'll learn to feed himself, at some stage. He prefers meat, though, being a dragon and all. If you got any issues, deal with 'em yourself."

I take Volvagia under the arms, looking into his big blue eyes, and the dragon scuttles up my arm and settles around my neck like a scarf. He looks at me, and _Din those eyes kill me _and makes a happy sound.

"Hey there," I say softly, looking down. He reaches out a paw and puts it on my nose. "I'm Link! You never have to go back in that cage again!"

The guy thrusts a piece of paper at me.

"There's the paper saying you bought him. You can get in trouble with the Gorons for dragon poaching. Keep it on you if you ever go up Death Mountain way, boy. Nice doing business with you,"

He immediately turns away and keeps hawking. Tatl wriggles out of my hat and hangs upside-down in front of my face, staring with disbelief.

"You…did you…just…"

"I bought a dragon!" I say brightly, strolling after Zelda.

"Oh, my gosh. She is going to kill you."

"I know," I say, less brightly.

"Like, massacre you,"

"Yeah, I know."

"Like, blood everywhere and then burning your body."

_"__I get the idea!_"

**[/]{INTERLUDE-THE GRAVE ROBBER}[\\\\\\\\\\]**

The birdlike child was perched atop a building, watching. The grave robber had been unimpressed to realise that there was absolutely nothing that would fix his wing in the time she wanted it to heal. She had guessed that no healer would actually want to see the kid, so she had been forced to bind his wrist tightly with cloth. She sat down beside him. He really was quite a strange creature. Arms that were wings at the same time- which had made it a right pain to bind the broken bone.

"Hey, Rito, you hungry?" she asked. He shook his head. "Liar," she grinned. "You're starving, aren't you,"

He frowned, edges of his beak curving downwards.

"Maybe," he said. "How'd you guess?"

"From my admittedly negligible knowledge of men, you people never admit when you want something."

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard," Rito smiled. She loved his smile; the way his beak tilted upwards and hung open a bit. She had never really considered a beak something that could be cute, but this kid managed it.

The grave robber whistled, and her Takkuri swooped down and landed on her outstretched arm.

"Well, then, let's go see what food we can get. You make life difficult, you know, with your fussy taste,"

"Sorry," he said, sounding unhappy. The grave robber laughed.

"I'm kidding, kiddo. It's called sarcasm."

She stood up, brushing off her cloak and holding out a hand. "Come on, then, Rito," she said, shaking the Takkuri off her other arm. He pulled himself to his feet, dark, thin fingers gripping hers. She let go and turned, racing to the edge of the building and leaping. Her boots crunched into the roof of the next building, slipping slightly on the tiles. She grabbed the tiles to steady herself. Rito frowned, still across the alleyway.

"No fair," he said petulantly. "My wing's broken. How am I meant to get over there?"

"Jump," the grave robber called back carelessly, vaulting over the chimney and leaping to the tall building that was next in line. Her tanned fingers hooked into the brickwork and she quickly scaled the building. She looked back just as the kid leaped, and for a second she stopped. His one wing was flattened behind him, and he had leaped headfirst. Just when she thought he would go straight through the roof like a giant arrow, he turned his body, bringing up his talons and flaring his good wing behind him. He landed with the sound of breaking pottery, and he quickly stepped on a broken tile to stop it sliding off the roof. He joined her a moment later, using his good hand and his talons to almost walk up the wall.

He glanced at her.

"Did I do that alright?" he asked. The grave robber laughed, ruffling his long white hair.

"Sure, Rito," she grinned. "You did great."

**[/]{END OF INTERLUDE}[\\\\\\\\\\]**

Zelda is unimpressed.

"What…what…how…"

"It's a dragon," I say brightly, sounding a lot more blasé than I feel.

"You…you bought… a-a _dragon?_" she hisses furiously. I grin weakly.

"Uh, yeah," I say, my voice faltering a little. "Was…was I not meant to?"

She turns away and covers her face, and I can hear her slowly counting to ten.

Oh, hell.

When she turns around, it's with a sickly sweet smile on her face.

"No," she says sweetly. "You were _not._"

"Oh," I say. "Well, I bought a dragon. It's not a very big one, and he apparently doesn't breathe fire. I asked him and he just looked at me. Although that might be because he doesn't speak Hylian."

She scowls at me.

"You…you are the biggest…the biggest…"

"Moron?" I supply. "Idiot?"

"I think she wanted a word that was a little stronger," Tatl hisses unhelpfully. Zelda takes a deep breath.

"I swear to Nayru, if you have just wasted our only money on a Din-burned _dragon _that can't help us in any way, I will have you _hanged." _

I frown.

"Uh…he's like a portable campfire, so we don't have to burn grass anymore," I say, "and we can teach him how to tell us when there's people nearby,"

"A dragon isn't a _dog, _Link," Zelda snaps. "They're a burden we don't have time for!"

Volvagia finally decides to give me some help by leaning forward and licking Zelda's face.

"Ew!" she shrieks, wiping her face frantically. I laugh.

"Seems a lot like a dog to me," I smirk, patting Volvagia's snout. He makes a bubbly noise and curls a little tighter around my shoulders, like a shawl. A really warm and scaly shawl.

Zelda shakes her hands to get any last traces of dragon-spit off them and then looks at me.

"Fine," she says venomously. "You can keep _Volvagia_. But you are looking after him _alone. _You can feed him and play with him and pick up his mess _by yourself. _Am I clear?"

"Yep," I say, and Volvagia croons happily. I tickle under his chin. "Hear that, boy? You can stay! You don't have to go back to that cage!"

Zelda shakes her head.

"You have got to be the strangest person I have ever met," she says with a slight laugh. "I talked to a few people, and by the sounds of it, the Library will be our best bet for finding the stone. It's looked after by a woman called Lady Seres, and she's supposed to be one of the smartest people in Hyrule, second only to my- to the queen."

I smile, suddenly hopeful.

"So, all we need to do is get into the Library and we can find out where the stones are? That's awesome!"

She grins.

"I know," she responds. "And if we're lucky, Lady Seres might see us and tell us what she knows about the Lizalfos,"

I clap her on the back.

"I knew I kept you around for a reason," I say brightly. "I hadn't even thought of that,"

"I know," she says smugly. Volvagia makes a huffy sound in response.

"Okay, let's go, what are we waiting for?" I hop on the spot, burning off a bit of excess energy. Zelda smiles softly.

"Food, remember? Dummy. Where's Tatl?"

"Right here," she pokes up out of my hair. "I don't need to eat. Don't look at me."

"Oh," I say, "right. Food. And where were we going for that?"

She grimaces.

"I was a bit limited with places that would take me seriously and actually take the bracelet as payment. I hope you like drinking songs."

_/\\_|(O)|_/\\_

I do not like drinking songs.

I sit in a corner with Zelda, eating the vegetables and feeding Volvagia scraps of the meat, where he's curled around my shoulders. I don't know what meat it is and I don't want to know, because in all honesty, I'm vegetarian for a reason.

I duck as a tankard of _something _hurtles over my head, showering me with droplets of something strong. Zelda winces. I wince. Tatl winces. I'm pretty sure Volvagia winces.

"Okay," I hiss, "how about we eat as fast as we can and get out of here?"

Volvagia starts to wriggle away, and I grab him and put him back over my shoulders. I'm not sure what this place's policy on dragons is and I'm not eager to find out. I feed him another piece of meat to keep him quiet.

"I like that idea," Zelda says, daintily slicing off another piece of meat. Din only knows where she found the appropriate cutlery in this place- I'm stuck eating salad with a spoon.

"Then stop worrying about table manners and eat!"

She glares.

"Etiquette shouldn't be ignored, Link. Just because you're a grot,"

"I grew up in a forest. Pardon my lack of _etiquette._"

I pluck the last potato from the plate and pop it in my mouth. It's a far cry away from the food of the Kokiri Forest- home-grown, home-made and always spiced with Deku leaves- but it still tastes alright, I guess. For a dude who was probably cooking drunk.

When I've eaten all the vegetables, Volvagia's polished off the meat, and Zelda's laid her cutlery on her plate, we stand up and move to leave. Zelda shoves open the door and we emerge into sunlight.

"Okay," Zelda says, seeming a bit brighter now that she's eaten. "The Library is this way. Let's go."

* * *

**A/N: Hey, guys! Sorry for the long wait; hit a creative block and only recently shifted it. So, reviews from last chapter;**

**Meadow of Sparkling Starlight:**** Getting interesting? Muahaha...you have no idea. **

**NekoRin:**** Did you like it? I also recommend 'Electric Angel' by Giga-P? Great song. I listened to it more than 167 times in three days. Thanks, iTunes, for always reminding me how many times I've spammed a song.**** By the way, two new characters are introduced next chapter. I think you may like them...**

**ShyEnderGirl: ****Fistbump for the Doctor Who joke. I love Doctor Who. While you guys were all watching Nemo I was hiding from Weeping Angels ^^ Also...about the Wolfos thing...eheheh. Well, they don't get eaten by Wolfos... yeah. SO! Uh, next topic?**

**Thanks for reading! Leave a review- makes me happy- and let me know what you thought!**

**~Electronic Ink**


	13. The Library

chapter twelve

The Library

**[/]{INTERLUDE-ALEXIEL}[\\\\\\\\\\]**

Alexiel Talbott was a careful man.

Every morning at seven, he and Riliane, his twin sister, woke up and rolled out of bed. They dressed quickly and walked to the main room of the servants' quarters, ate their breakfast, and left for the palace. When they arrived, they waited outside the princess' room until nine, when the girl woke. Riliane then entered the room to help her dress, while Alexiel spoke with Impa, the princess' closest guardian, about tasks to be performed that day. The servant committed every part of the princess' daily schedule to memory.

And that was why Alexiel knew what had really happened.

When Princess Zelda and Impa hadn't returned from their journey, it was Alexiel who had first raised the alarm. _Look!_ he had said. _It's past midnight, your majesty. Something's happened! They should have returned hours ago!_

_Silent, Alexiel, _Queen Illora had responded, looking harrowed but firm. _Go. I will not have you meddling in this affair._

Alexiel had returned to his room, where Riliane sat awake in their bed reading. Both of the twins enjoyed reading, but whereas Alexiel enjoyed reading historical books, Riliane always had her nose buried in some fantastical adventure novel. Alexiel had taken off his formal clothing and slid into bed beside his sister, and did not sleep at all. He spent the night with an arm around his twin, pleading with the goddesses for the safe return of the princess. He quite enjoyed his position as the princess' servant. Zelda wasn't snobbish, or abusive, or rude. She always had something positive to say, even on the worst of days, and she loved to make jokes when Riliane and Alexiel were around. Impa, too, he found to be quite agreeable. Strict? Yes. Serious? Definitely. Kind? Always.

Alexiel had woken at seven the next morning to find a palace in chaos. He had fought his way to the central room, where Germaine, one of the kitchen women, told him that Impa and Zelda hadn't returned from a "visiting trip". He had felt like the carpet had been ripped out from under him. He had held his sister close, eyes squeezed shut, whispering half-formed prayers to Hylia that Impa and Zelda were safe, that this was all some mistake.

With no princess to serve, there had been a few days where the twins hadn't any duties, awkwardly stepping around the other servants and wandering around. They often found themselves leaning against the wall outside Zelda's empty room, reading. Eventually Kyle, the man who assigned servants their tasks, relocated the twins to the kitchens. They were surprised to find how easily they fit in with the kitchen staff, joining in with the cheerful songs. At first, they just carried ingredients around to the chefs, but it was soon discovered that Alexiel was quite the cook, which for the first time separated him from his sister in duties. He had quickly asked Elluka, the head chef, if Riliane could join him in preparing meals for the palace. Soon the twins were seamlessly making soups and cakes for the lesser residents of the palace, even if they were never afforded the honour of preparing the meals for the king and queen.

And Alexiel waited. The twins spent many a sleepless night curled up together in their bed, murmuring prayers to the goddesses. Both knew what Zelda had taken with her. Both knew why she hadn't returned.

Both of them knew about the harp.

**[/]{END OF INTERLUDE}[\\\\\\\\\\]**

"Welcome to the Library!"

A young man with a shock of black hair smiles at us, opening the door. "It's not often we get young people like yourselves in here. Are you looking for research, or for a novel?"

"Research," Zelda answers. "Do you have any books on the Spiritual Stones?"

The man laughs. "_Do we have any books on the Spiritual Stones?_ Of _course_ we have books on the Spiritual Stones! Follow me, miss…?"

"Zelda," she says. The man grins.

"After the princess, I suppose. It's become quite the popular name lately. My name is Morgan,"

Morgan leads us over to a tall bookshelf.

"How well do you read, Zelda? Some of these are a bit complicated."

"I can take it," she says without even flickering an eyelid. "I've been reading since I was seven."

Morgan nods, standing on tiptoe to reach the top shelf. He pulls down a few books, stacking them up.

"I think these can help," he says. Zelda takes the books, wandering over to a chair. Tatl settles on her shoulder.

Morgan turns to me. "What are you looking for?"

I reach into my belt pouch and manage to pull a squirming Volvagia out by the horns. We had to stuff him in the pouch to stop him running away.

"Do you have anything about looking after dragons?"

Morgan's jaw drops.

"Is that a dragon?" he gasps, reaching out a hand. "Holy Din,"

"I know, right?" I say. Volvagia crawls onto Morgan's outstretched arm and proceeds to nibble on his sleve.

"He's beautiful," Morgan breathes. "Where did you find him?"

"I bought him, in the marketplace. I felt sorry for him, crammed in a cage like that,"

"So would I." He holds out his arm and I pull Volvagia off. He squawks in protest but proceeds to pull my hat off my head and chew on it. "You were looking for books on dragons? That'd be in the Hylian Myths section. Follow me,"

We leave Zelda in the stacks, nose buried in _Fire, Water, Forest: The Spiritual Stones. _

Morgan stops at a shelf.

"Here we go. 304, the Mythical Beings section. And…here's the books on dragons. Are you as good as Zelda at reading?"

"No," I admit. "I'm actually pretty rubbish. I don't spend much time reading."

"Okay then, so simple stuff…hmm…"

He pulls a thin book titled _Dragons, Serpents, and Other Inadvisable Pets _from the shelf. "This might help you,"

I take the book, looking at it.

"Thank you, Morgan," I say, moving towards one of the soft-looking chairs. I sink into the fabric. Volvagia barks and settles in my lap. His horns make an excellent bookstand.

…I can't believe I just thought that. Is using my dragon as a bookstand wrong?

I flick through the pages. The book seems like it was written for kids, which is a plus, and it's got three chapters on dragons. I skip past the introduction and the chapters on Wolfos, Imps and Kargarocs, settling on_ Dragons: Fire and Fun. _

After about an hour, I look up from the book, closing it. Volvagia's gone to sleep, so I edge him off my lap onto the seat and walk back to the bookshelf, slotting _Dragons, Serpents, and Other Inadvisable Pets _onto the shelf where Morgan left the marker. I run my hand along the shelf, looking through the section on magical beings for another book about dragons. _Power, Wisdom, Courage: A History of the Gods; _nope. _The Triforce of the Gods; _nope. _The Hero of Hyrule; _nope. _The White Godde-_ wait. I look back at _The Hero of Hyrule _and pluck it from the shelf. It's quite a thin volume, but the breath rushes out of my lungs when I see the cover art.

It's me. Holy Hylia, it's me.

Sure, the hero in the artwork looks older, and he has a longer sword and a shield in his hands, but he's got my pointed face, my spiky hair- hell, he's even wearing my pointed hat. I sigh, fingers locked around the book. I guess a part of me still hadn't believed Zelda when she had called me the Hero of Time. Is this confirmation? Surely it's not a coincidence that the hero on the book is a dead ringer for me. Or is it the other way around?

"What're you looking at now?" Morgan comes around the corner with a stack of books. He starts shelving them, leaning over my shoulder. "_The Hero of Hyrule, _huh? I hope you don't have a weak stomach, if you're reading that. That one isn't the bedtime story version."

"Bed-bedtime story?" I stammer. The Hero of Hyrule is a bedtime story?

"Mm-hmm," Morgan says absently, standing on tiptoes to slot _The Ocean King _onto the top shelf. "Even back in Holodrum."

Holodrum? He's not from Hyrule? I look instinctively at his ears. It's something every kid in the woods knows- you can tell someone's home by their ears. But this I've never seen before.

"You have round ears," I say in astonishment.

Morgan laughs. "I can tell you've never been out of Hyrule, kid. Round ears are pretty common in the provinces and some other countries."

"They are?"

I bite my fingernails to stop myself poking his ears. They're so tiny! Especially compared to the enormous, bat-like ears of the Kokiri.

"Yep. I hail from Holodrum, which is to the west."

"So…what are the other countries? Does everyone outside of Hyrule have round ears?"

He laughs. "Horonians like me- that's what you call someone from Holodrum- usually have round ears. Labrynna, to the east, is mostly Hylian, but you get some humans there."

"Human? Isn't that just another word for Hylian?"

Morgan turns to face me, abandoning his stack of books.

"Not really. It's sort of come to refer to all the people who look like this, but _human _actually refers to the ones with round ears, like me. Then you get Zora, who don't actually have ears. They sometimes have ear fins, but they don't have ears. Gorons don't have ears either."

"Zora? What's a Zora?"

Morgan whistles, and a moment later a small girl skids around the corner. I look at her ears, expecting either pointed or round, but to my shock she doesn't have either. She has enormous, triangular ears- and a _tail_.

"Din," I murmur.

"Hello, sweetie," Morgan laughs, hugging the girl. She can't be older than three. "There's a book on the table beside the window, where your chair is. Can you grab it for me?"

The girl nods, speeding off, and I watch her go.

"She's a cat," I say in astonishment. Morgan snorts.

"Hardly. Beatrice's half-Remlit. Remlit are some of the oldest creatures in Hyrule. She's also my daughter."

Beatrice rockets around the corner, holding a book that's the size of her entire torso.

"Daddy!" she squeals, throwing the book towards him and leaping into his arms. Morgan laughs and ruffles her hair, scratching around her ears.

"Wait, that's your daughter?" I ask in astonishment. I'm no expert on ages past ten, but Morgan doesn't actually look too much older than me. At a guess, maybe 13? 15 at most.

He looks at me, slightly hostile. "Yes. My daughter. You heard that right. Do you have a problem with that?"

I frown.

"No, not at all, just…" I blush. I'm not exactly sure how having kids works- Kokiri don't have that problem- but I'm pretty sure that you're not meant to have kids so young. I have an epic foot-in-mouth situation here. _Zelda. Help. What do I say?_ Damn, this is when you need Navi. She usually gets me out of these situations.

Morgan raises an eyebrow. "Just _what?_"

I sigh. "I'm not too sharp on the whole kids thing, but…you look too young to be a dad,"

His mood darkens.

"Oh," he says. "I thought you were going to call me out 'cause she's half Remlit. But…yeah. I guess. We all make bad decisions."

I frown, feeling terrible. I just made him question his love life. I really should try to cheer him back up.

"But look, isn't she beautiful? You love Beatrice, right?"

Aand now I'm giving parenting advice. Who knew?

Morgan runs a hand through spiky hair.

"Yeah," he admits. "I wouldn't give Beatrice up for anything. And if I could reverse time, I would do it all again, exactly the same way. But no-one can reverse time, so I guess that saying's a bit redundant."

"Yeah," I laugh nervously. "No-one can reverse time. Yep."

You never know, Morgan. You never know. Someone like, hmm, let's say, _me, _might try.

Morgan looks at his daughter, thinking, then suddenly he's all smiles again. He really is a smiley guy. He picks up the book Beatrice brought over, flipping it open and leafing through.

"What were we looking for?" he asks me.

"Zora," I answer, glad for the change of subject.

"Ah, Zora. That's right. And…here we go," he says, pushing the book towards me. "That's a Zora."

I look at the page and my jaw drops.

"A _fish-person_? Is that a _fish-person_?"

"Yep. Zora. They inhabit the waterways, but usually only live in fresh water."

I beam. A world that has something as funny as fish-people and cat-people is a good world to live in. I flip the page over, and see a drawing labelled _Goron. _It's a tubby thing, with what looks like rocks plating its back. I turn the page again; Gerudo. Then Poe. The next page is labelled _Remlit. _I look at the image; a thin man with a long tail, furred skin, large cat-like ears and slitted eyes. I frown, looking up at Beatrice. Her fur looks much thinner than the fur of the Remlit in the book, and her eyes don't look slitted to me. Then I remember she's only half-Remlit.

"That's cool," I say, pushing the book back.

"What were we talking about before?" Morgan looks up from his daughter, who's curled up in his arms, sucking her thumb. "You wanted to ask something, right?"

"Ears."

"Ah. Ears. Uh, so…I said something about the provinces, and Labrynna…ah, Ikana and Calatia. They're both to the south. Both have basically pure human population, really. You've also got the Anouki, but your first clue to them isn't their ears, it's their antlers. They're crazy. They're basically small deer-things. Magic is nuts."

"I'll say," I murmur, picking up _The Hero of Hyrule. _"Thanks for the history lesson,"

"No problem," Morgan says, hefting his Remlit daughter and returning to the book stack. He pauses, as if trying to figure out how to shelve the books without dropping his daughter.

I return to the chair, nudging Volvagia aside. I glance over to where Zelda and Tatl are sitting, immersed in _Gifts of the Goddesses. _Still researching.

I open the book and start to read.

_/\\_|(O)|_/\\_

"Hey, Link. Link! Wake up!"

I blearily open my eyes. Zelda's standing over me. "Feeling better?"

"Mmmmmmph," I moan. "Are you done reading yet?"

I stifle a yawn.

"Yeah. The books say that once we get all three stones we have to take it to somewhere sacred to whatever goddess we want to appease."

"And which one are we trying to appease?" I ask sleepily.

"I considered the Temple of Nayru in Tiryell, the Forest Temple back in the Lost Woods, and the Our Lady of Courage Church in Ordona Province, but I think that our best bet is the Temple of Time in Castle Town."

"Why?" I wipe sleep out of my eyes.

"I thought of Nayru first, because my bloodline is blessed by Nayru, and she would be more inclined to help us because of that. The Our Lady of Courage Church was a possibility because Farore is usually attributed with creating the forest races. And the Forest Temple would call to the Sage of Forest in the Sacred Realm. But simply repairing the forests wouldn't bring the dead Kokiri back to life; we'd need to literally reverse time in that one area. So the Temple of Time seems the logical choice."

"Dang," I murmur, stretching. "You're smart."

"So, what did you find out?"

"Dragons are allergic to Cuccos."

Zelda blinks.

"Okay then."

She picks up _The Hero of Hyrule _from where it must've slid off my lap onto the floor. "Doing some background reading?"

I shudder. "It's disgusting. I can't believe that he was whipped and hanged just for saving a Gerudo woman,"

Zelda looks at me. "He _did _assassinate Hyrule's king first," she points out. I wag a finger at her.

"See, that's the bit I don't get. Why? Why would this so-called Hero of Hyrule kill his king?"

She frowns, handing me Volvagia. "According to my history lessons, the king of Hyrule in that time was well-known for being a harsh king. Not many liked him, and I don't think the people were that annoyed when he was killed."

"So why did this guy get hanged?"

Zelda groaned.

"Because princess Zelda IV- my grandmother- had to set an example. I heard she was actually in love with him, and they were childhood friends,"

"Because you totally hang the guy you're in love with." I quip.

I turn to look out the window, trying to quell the troubled feelings. If the last one got hanged, and the hero before him was assassinated, and the guy before _him _was killed in battle, what fate awaits me? By the sounds of it, none of these heroes actually had a happy ending. Am I going to follow them in their violent endings?

"Hey," I say in surprise, suddenly noticing the lack of light streaming through the windows- and secretly glad for the change of subject- "it's dark out,"

"Yep. That's what happens at night," Zelda says, walking to the shelves and expertly locating the slot for _The Hero of Hyrule. _

"Why are we still here?" I ask. She shoots me a look.

"Because _someone _spent the bracelet we might have used for an inn," she said. "Since that idea is down the pipe, I was planning on staying in the library tonight. I sent Tatl out to find Morrigan an hour ago and tell him what we were doing."

I look around.

"Where's Morgan?" I ask.

"He went upstairs not long ago. Said he was retiring for the night. He also left you this,"

Zelda holds out a book, and I take it and read the cover. _ A Study of Species_ is inked in bold writing on the front. I recognise it as the book Morgan used to show me the Zora picture.

"Huh," I say. "That was nice of him."

Zelda walks over to a bookshelf.

"They lock the doors in ten minutes," she says. "We can hide in the aisles until then."

I frown.

"Won't someone be mad if we hide in their Library?" I ask, worried.

"Only if we get caught," Zelda says. I scowl.

"Zelda, we have a very loud dragon with us. We're going to get caught,"

"Then see if you can stuff Volvagia back in your pouch,"

"That's cruel in two ways," I point out. "One, he barely fit the first time. He almost split the seams. When these pouches split their seams, all the stuff inside them explodes everywhere. It'll make a mess, break stuff, _and _get us caught and thrown out. Two, it's so cluttered in there that he'll probably get impaled with a fork or something. If it was only for ten minutes like it was before, I'd do it, but he can't stay in there all night. It'd be mean."

"Fine," Zelda says. "Leave him out. But you're responsible if we get caught because of your dragon."

There's a call from the direction of the door.

"The Library is closing for the night! If there's anyone still in here, please leave now!"

There's a pause, Zelda and I holding our breath, and then the door slams shut and the man walks to the back of the library and up the stairs, where the librarians must live, locking the door behind him. Zelda lets out a breath.

"Okay, walk around and grab all the pillows off the chairs," she instructs. "We can make a bed out of them."

I leave the stacks, gathering pillows. Volvagia seems eager to help, so I wedge one between his horns and he romps after me brightly.

"This is all there are," I say, dumping the pillows. I pull the pillow out from Volvagia's horns.

"Right," Zelda says, arranging the pillows in a rough circle and laying down on them. "It'll do,"

I pick up Volvagia and lay down beside Zelda, looking up at the towering stacks of books around me. It's actually quite peaceful here, and there's a strange feeling of quiet contentment. Maybe it's the books. I've never been too big on reading- that was always Saria's thing- but these books all seem to be so loved. Feeling peaceful, I wrap one arm around Volvagia-who huffs and curls up- and slowly my eyes slide shut.


	14. The Exalted Princess of Cagey Dumbasses

chapter thirteen

The Most Exalted Princess of Cagey Dumbasses

**[/]{INTERLUDE-FADO}[\\\\\\\\\\]**

Fado squeaked in horror, looking around. Once upon a time, she could have remembered her path by the foliage she passed on the way, but with the leaves charred and broken, they all looked the same. She spun in a circle, frantically searching for some sign of the path she had followed.

Her fear wasn't unfounded. She kept her ears sharp, hoping not to hear the distinctive sound of Skull Kid music. She turned back in the rough direction she had come from and stalked through the burned woods, trying not to panic, knocking aside branches fearfully. She could hear a flute playing faintly, and her hands flew up to cover her ears.

"Leave me alone!" she shouted, hoping to frighten the Skull Kids away. "Go away!"

How could this have happened? The Lost Woods, their _home, _had turned against them. She tripped over a tangle of sooty roots and hit the ground, slamming into the packed earth. She lay there, dazed.

_I'm laying down, _the tired side of her brain said. _Why not just have a little nap?_

She almost agreed, shutting her eyes, before realising. The flute music was getting closer. She scrambled to her feet, hands back over her huge ears, stumbling. She skidded to a stop; she was back where she had started. The trick of the Lost Woods; it was as if the forest itself had decided that the Kokiri were no longer its children and was turning its magic on them. Fado spun, running in a new direction, the music ever closer. Her ankle twisted sharply and she pitched to the ground, crying out as her wrist cracked painfully. She climbed to her feet a second time, tears pouring down her grimy face, and gasped as she turned around to see gleaming Wolfos eyes looking at her. It must have heard her shouting and thought her an easy target. She scrambled for her Deku spear, pulling it out and holding it towards the Wolfos.

"Stay away! Leave me alone! Please!"

She backed away, sobbing, and the Wolfos pounced. She screamed, the spear flying out of her hand.

"_Help! Timi, help! Help!" _she screamed at the top of her lungs, finally losing it. She thrashed beneath the Wolfos, boots slamming into its belly. A lucky kick caught it in the stomach, and the Wolfos instinctively curled to protect the wounded area. Fado scrambled to her feet, sprinting as fast as she could away from the beast. Her feet caught on roots and crunched on burned branches; she knew she should stay quiet, to lose her pursuer, but she was too frightened. She looked up, thinking to climb into a tree, but all the trees were tall and all the branches were too tall for her to reach. For the first time in all her forty years, Fado wished that Kokiri aged. She could have put up with hormones, squidginess and even the whole death-of-old-age thing in return for the extra inches she needed to reach the branches right now. Something snapped behind her and she broke into a run again, fleeing both Wolfos and Skull Kid.

"Help!" she cried. "Help me!"

She could hear the flute music again, and she went to cover her ears. Something cold touched her right ear. She looked at her hand and screamed again.

From her elbow down, her arm was nothing but bone. Above her elbow, the skin was blackened, as if dissolving into shadows. A word pushed its way to her lips, one she had always said while laughing and taunting, but was now as filthy a word as any curse. _Stalfos. _She sobbed, tears cutting paths through the dirt left on her face. She clutched her skeletal arm to her chest, stumbling through the woods until she somehow, miraculously, found a filthy-looking pond. She looked at her reflection, trembling.

It was almost artistic, the way half of her face was blackened. One eye was reduced to a glowing orange circle, and one ear looked almost withered. She froze, horrified.

_It's the gods, _she thought, frightened at her own appearance. _This is my comeuppance for taunting the Stalfos. This is my punishment for taunting them. _

Something smashed into Fado like a brick wall, and she screamed as she slammed into the filthy pond. She didn't have time to take a breath, and the water was black with ash. Fado's lungs cried out for air. She erupted to the surface, spluttering, to find the Wolfos snarling at the side of the pond. She coughed, feeling the gritty water in her throat, and threw up right there in the pond. She still wasn't safe; the music was getting closer. But she couldn't leave the pond, or the Wolfos would kill her. Did she want to die by Wolfos or be turned into a full Stalfos? She looked up, shaking with cold and fear, looking to the pacing Wolfos.

Why wasn't it coming in? Why?

The answer hit her like a Deku seed from a sling.

_Wolfos don't like water. _So die by Stalfos it was. She ducked under the water, trying to hide from the sound, and to her surprise realised that she couldn't hear the music underwater. She poked her head above; still there; then underwater. Gone. Her ears were blocked by the pond. Fado flipped her head back so her ears were under but her mouth was above the surface, the eerie sound of underwater breathing blocking out the flute sounds. The water constricted her chest slightly, but it was better than dying, she reasoned wildly, doing her best to stay afloat.

Eventually, the Wolfos left angrily, snarling all the way.

"Timi!" she shouted, her voice sounding faint to her underwater ears. "Timi, where are you!"

She risked poking her ears above water. Immediately, her ears popped and she could hear voices shouting in panic. Shouting for someone called Fado.

_Oh, _she thought hazily, _I'm Fado. Right._

"Fado? Fado?" she heard Makar crying, voice high with fear.

"Here!" she yelled, "in the pond!"

In a few moments, Timi skidded to a halt beside the pool, steadying himself with his staff. Fado looked up at the thunderstruck Kokiri.

"My gods," he whispered, reaching out and brushing a hand across her blackened skin, then taking her skeletal hand, his fingers wrapping gently around the pale bones. "What happened to you?"

She wept, crawling out of the pond and pulling her sodden bandanna over her ears. The music was gone now, but she was crying too much to notice.

"The forest! It's not our friend anymore. It hates us! We're all going to die!"

**[/]{END OF INTERLUDE}[\\\\\\\\\\]**

We're screwed.

We're woken up by something whacking us, hard. Volvagia screeches, burrowing into my tunic to hide from the attacker. My sword is already in my hand by the time I recognise the culprit.

Morgan is just laughing, leaning against a bookshelf with a cocky little smirk on his face and pushing his glasses back up his nose. And a woman is leaning over us with _the most infuriated _look on her face, book raised for another blow. She has short green hair, and I suddenly think of Saria. Her angry face looks exactly like this woman's. The green hair helps, I guess.

"And _what _do you think you're doing?" she demands. Zelda winces, sitting up and brushing her hair out of her face.

I _really _want to say 'I told you so' but now probably isn't the best moment.

"Hmm?" the woman prompts. Zelda blinks.

"Are you Lady Seres?" she asks. The woman folds her arms.

"Yes. Yes, I am." she says crossly. "And who are you, if we are to exchange names?"

Zelda gets to her feet, glancing at Morgan.

"I'm Link," I offer, "and this is-"

Zelda cuts in.

"I am Princess Zelda. And we need your help."

Whoa…

WHOA.

_WHOA._

What the hell? _Princess?_

Three pairs of eyes stare at Zelda, taken aback. She flicks her hair back.

"I don't believe you," Seres finally breaks the shocked silence. "Get out of my library."

Zelda crosses her arms.

"How can I prove it to you?" she asks. "Ask anything."

Seres stops, glancing at a stunned Morgan. He frowns, straightening his glasses.

"Weren't you present when Princess Zelda was born, Lady Seres?" he asks.

"Yes, I was," she answers.

"Then, Zelda, if you're the princess, tell us your first name. Seres will know if you're telling the truth."

"First…name? It's Zelda, isn't it?" I ask. Zelda punches me.

"That's my honorary name," she says. "All women in Hyrule's monarchy are called Zelda, unless they marry into the family."

I blink.

"Oh," I say.

"Good idea, Morgan," Seres says approvingly. "I knew I hired you for a reason. You can't possibly know the princess' first name, because the country only learns about it on the day of her coronation."

Zelda smirks, takes a step forward, and hisses something in Seres' ear. The woman pales.

"Pardon?" she asks. "What did you say?"

"You heard me," Zelda smirks.

Seres places a hand on her heart.

"As I live and breathe," she whispers, sinking into a bow. "My lady, forgive me,"

Morgan stares for a second before dropping his gaze, bowing. I pause. Should I bow? She's…Zelda's a freaking princess! Bloody hell! I quickly follow suit, and for good measure I shove Volvagia into a bow- and he yawns and goes to sleep. I can't see Zelda's face, but I can feel the eye roll.

"Oh, for Nayru's sake, stop bowing, all of you. Especially you, Link, you moron,"

Morgan straightens and tilts his head, eyes wide.

"I know Link is a very common name in Hyrule," he says- which is news to me- "but is this…is he…are you…"

"Oh, leave him alone," Zelda says, as Morgan gawks. "_Yes, _I think he is. Is this really such a big deal?"

Morgan hyperventilates for a few moments, clearly trying to come to terms with us. Seres glances down the corridor, making sure the doors are still closed to the public.

"How can we help you, my lady?" Seres rubs her hands together. "And what are you doing outside the castle?"

Zelda glances at Morgan, weighing the consequences of telling Seres where he can hear.

"Uh…it's a long story. But you're called the most knowledgeable woman in Hyrule. I wanted to know if you had heard anything about a group of Lizalfos, with a mysterious alpha."

Seres scowls.

"Yes, I've heard about the pack." she says darkly. "Fifty of the strongest Lizalfos inside the borders, led by a mysterious person who wears a cloak. You ran afoul of them, I suppose?"

"They took something very important," Zelda says quietly. "It's vital we get it back,"

Seres frowns, leaning against a bookshelf.

"Hmm…the last time the pack was sighted was in Eldin Province," Morgan informs us.

"Change that to the Lost Woods," Zelda corrected. "That's where they got us,"

Seres's eyes widen.

"I hadn't paid any heed to the rumour, but apparently people living in Faron Province spotted plumes of smoke in the Lost Woods. Does that have anything to do with you?"

Zelda's face darkens, and I close my eyes against the image of the burning forest. It doesn't help, though; fire burns brighter in the darkness.

"Yes, that was us," she admits quietly. "Is it possible for a group of people to go into the woods and help the Kokiri?"

"No," I answer. Zelda looks at me. "Do you want them to become Stalfos? The Lost Woods are cursed. Only us Kokiri can find our way through the woods without becoming Stalfos or Skull Kids,"

Morgan raises an eyebrow.

"Kokiri?" he says, disbelieving. I pluck at my tunic.

"You didn't guess?" I say, looking at the signature green Kokiri tunic. He furrows his brows.

"Your ears though…" he muses. My hands fly to my ears, covering them.

"Yeah, so what," I scowl, annoyed that he would point out my abnormality in this situation. "I wasn't forest-born, okay? Just because I have thin ears, not big bat ears. I could poke fun that you have round ears and you live in Hyrule,"

Morgan goes to respond, probably with something scathing, when Seres interrupts. I'm glad for that; he has a point. I've always had thin ears- for some reason, my ears never widened out like everyone else's.

"Shut up, Morgan. His ears are the least of our concern. I think we're ignoring something here," Seres says. "Kokiri can't leave the forest. It's the oldest story about the Forest Children there is; they die if they leave their forest,"

I wince.

"Thanks for reminding me," I say flatly. "I've been trying not to think about that,"

"Guys?" Zelda says, "he's not gonna die. Can we get back on topic? How can we help Girikar?"

"'Girikar'?" I ask, confused. Seres answers.

"When the Ancient Hylians realised they couldn't enter the woods, they abandoned the cause, but a while back someone flew overhead to map them from the sky. They found three villages and named them. Yours was named Girikar- 'Ikar' is the Ancient Hylian word for 'home', and 'Girin' is the word for 'forest'."

"Do the other two villages have names too?" I ask. Zelda freezes.

"Other two villages?" she questions. "There are more?"

"Yes," Morgan says. "Do you have a map?"

Zelda pulls her map out of her pouch, offering it to Morgan. He takes it, squinting through his glasses, and points to two dots I hadn't even noticed within the trees of the Lost Woods.

"This is Murikar- 'Muriki' means 'hidden'- and Lanikar; 'lana' means 'youthful'."

"Huh," I say, looking at the forest. "Who mapped them?"

"Kaepora Gaebora, the Sacred Owl," he says. Zelda claps her hands together.

"Of course! Kaepora Gaebora! He can help the Kokiri,"

"He could do that?" I cry, grabbing Zelda by the shoulders. She wrenches herself free.

"Of course he could. He's an owl."

"How would you find him?" Seres asks. Zelda furrows her brows.

"Usually I would use my harp, but obviously I can't. Does anyone have an instrument I can use?"

"I have an orphica behind the front desk," Seres offers.

"Is that a royal thing, knowing how to call the Old Owl?" Morgan asks. Zelda nods.

I offer her my ocarina, and Zelda just stares at me. "Did you forget the whole _you're the only one who can play that thing _thing?"

"I'll go get the orphica," Seres says, walking out of the aisle. A high pitched squeak makes me look up. Morgan looks like he's about to die.

"Uh, Morgan?" I ask "you okay, man?"

He reaches out a trembling hand.

"Can-can I-can-"

I roll my eyes and give him the ocarina. He examines it for a second before squealing like Mila when she finds the pigments for golden paint.

"Oh my gods! _Oh my gods!_ It's really it! Din, Nayru, Farore, it's really the Ocarina of Time! Where did you find this? This is a sacred artefact!"

"Yep," I say. "I found it in a puddle,"

Morgan mouths the word _puddle _in disbelief as Seres returns with the most bizarre instrument I have ever seen. It has the keys of a piano, the long neck of a guitar, and long strings like a full-sized floor harp. It's…it's a portable piano, I think. I want one, I decide immediately. That's so much cooler than an ocarina.

"I hope you can play this, Princess," she says, "we're not very music-oriented here in Lochmede. This is only here for display purposes- orphicas are very popular with musicians nowadays,"

Zelda slings a shoulder-strap over herself and holds the orphica, pressing the keys a few times. She looks down, thinking deeply. I almost miss the tear that slides down her face.

"Din, Zelda, what's wrong?" I ask. She sniffs.

"Alexiel plays an orphica," she whispers. "He taught me how. I haven't seen him, or Riliane, or Impa…I haven't seen them in a month. Oh, gods, Alexiel and Riliane must be so worried…"

Seres hesitates, then places a hand on Zelda's shoulder. "If I may, who are Alexiel and Riliane? I know who Impa is, but not those two,"

She sniffs again.

"Alexiel and Riliane don't really count as two separate people," she laughs, sounding watery. "I swear they share a soul. They're my servants in the palace, and…I miss them. I miss my mother and I miss Impa and…"

She dissolves into incomprehensible sobs, and without thinking I throw my arms around her. Morgan sucks in a breath, and I belatedly wonder if hugging the princess is illegal.

"Hey," I say comfortingly, "if I can get back to Saria, you can get back to your friends, hmm? And we'll find Impa. Did you see the size of that spear-thing? It was like three times my height! I'm sure she's fine,"

"It's a naginata," sniffs Zelda.

"Nagi-nag-nag," I frown. "Why can't anything in Hyrule be easy to pronounce?" She laughs, looking at the orphica.

"You're right. I'm sorry," she says quietly. She straightens the orphica. "I can't dwell over other people right now. I have to focus."

She hesitates, then presses a key, playing a quick succession of ascending notes. She curses under her breath when she hits a wrong note, then starts again. The song is quick and airy, and when she finishes she looks expectantly at the window. Barely a minute later, the biggest owl I've ever seen lands on the windowsill.

"Bloody hell," swears Morgan, and Seres cuffs him over the head. "Ow. You actually summoned Kaepora Gaebora? Bloody hell!"

And Seres hits him again.

"Don't swear in front of the princess! Or in front of children! Just- don't swear!"

"Oww," Morgan rubs his head. "You're not my mother,"

"But _you're _a father, and you need to be responsible!"

Zelda casts Morgan a surprised look, crossing to the window to open it.

"He has kids?" she asks under her breath.

"Just one. A girl." I hiss. "Are Hyli-I mean, humans, meant to have kids that young?"

"It's possible," she grimaces, "but it's a _really bad idea. _Not only are the parents far too young, but they're still kids themselves. Why would they have children? Also, it's like, a major social taboo. I wouldn't be surprised if his parents kicked him out of the house for dishonouring them,"

I glance at Morgan as Zelda unlatches the window. He's a pretty young-looking guy, the kind who seems like 'innocent townsfolk' in our plays. And he really does look far too young to have a kid. I mean, he still has a kiddy voice, too. I remember how in every play we did for the Greenleaf Festival, people playing adults had to do deep voices so people knew they were adults. Timi was great at it.

The owl hoots, reminding us of his presence.

"Hello, Kaepora," Zelda says. The owl tilts his head.

"Hello, princess," he says, and I roll my eyes, sighing.

"I am getting sick of birds talking to me,"

Morgan pushes his glasses back up his nose and makes a face.

"What, you do this every day?" he grins.

* * *

**A/N: Gah. It's been too long. I'm sorry about the slow updating; I'm actually halfway through moving to the other end of the state, so it's been difficult to get time to write. It's lucky I went back to check something on Morgan and realised I had another chapter pre-written. I probably won't upload again for at the _very least _another two weeks. I'm sorry! Stick with me!**

**Review responses: **

**Snowy Meadow of**** Starlight: A very festive name change, my dear~ I'm glad you'll remember that dragons are allergic to cuccos. I seriously doubt it will ever come up again ^^ And yes. Volvagia is adorable. Very much so.**

**Qwertypip:**** Has anyone ever told you your username is very easy to type? Because it is. Thanks for that input; if I can work it in anywhere, I most certainly will. I'm having a lot of fun throwing Link's items from various games at other characters too; a certain lavishly-dressed OC wears the Hover Boots, and a gruff-looking old man hefts the Biggoron Sword. It's very fun xD **

**Leave a review~ Thanks for reading!**

**-Inky**


	15. Feathers and Misery

chapter fourteen

Feathers and Misery

"Long time no see, Kaepora. Too busy to visit your favourite princess?" Zelda laughs. I didn't realise it was possible for a bird to scowl.

"Actually, I've been driving myself into the ground searching for you and Impa. You have ten seconds to explain why you aren't on your way back to the castle."

Zelda freezes, a twitching finger hitting a key on the orphica, and immediately Kaepora's owl eyes widen.

"Oh, no," he whispers. "You didn't,"

Zelda nods miserably, and then the owl throws out a wing to hit her in the face.

"You idiot!" he hoots loudly, angry.

I take a step back.

"I'll admit," I mutter to Morgan, "I didn't factor in talking owls for my daily schedule. 'Specially not ones that hit people."

Morgan just stares.

"I think hitting the princess is illegal," he says.

Oh. Hell.

"Oops," I say guiltily. "I think I've broken all of your rules. Sorry about that."

He simply shakes his head.

"If you are who I think you are, you're the only person in the world who could get away with that. Besides the owl."

"I don't believe this," Seres breathes. "Kaepora Gaebora, in my library,"

Kaepora is screeching furiously at Zelda, beating his wings and sending feathers everywhere.

"What was the one rule you've always had to obey? Never lose the harp! And what did you do? You lost the gods-damned harp!"

He opens his beak to screech some more before Zelda hits him with the orphica.

"Oh," I say, watching Kaepora drop, dazed. "Is hitting talking owls illegal?"

"No," Morgan answers, stifling a laugh. "But I hope I get paid double for today."

"Not a chance," Seres answers without looking at him.

"Hey!" Morgan protests. "I could claim work-related trauma! There are people being assaulted with musical instruments!"

"And you could be next. Shut up, Morgan," Seres answers.

I snort. "You're so much like Saria it's not funny, Lady Seres,"

She tilts her head. "Saria? Who's Saria?"

"A friend of mine from the –ack!" I duck underneath a flying pillow thrown by Zelda. "-the forest. She's got green hair too. What's up with the green hair thing?"

"The forest?" Seres asks in surprise, eyes wide and apparently missing the question.

"I can answer that," Morgan jumps in. "Exposure to a certain amount of magic can react with people in different ways. The most common reaction is change in the colour of hair and nails. You'll see it a lot around Hyrule, especially as you get closer to Castle Town,"

He tugs on his own hair, and I notice that the tips are a dark purple.

"For some reason, it starts at the tips rather than the roots, which must mean it's a reaction from the outside, not the inside. My hair started turning purple before I left Holodrum, but it's stopped now. Lucky, because I think I'd look real stupid with purple hair,"

"I dunno," I say, "I think you'd look okay,"

"Thanks," he laughs. "But I'd look like a complete idiot."

"If you say so," I murmur, and Seres finally decides to break up the argument between owl and princess.

"Cut it out!" she snaps, and I offhandedly wonder if that's illegal too.

Kaepora ruffles his feathers indignantly. "She started it," he says almost childishly. Morgan runs a hand through his hair.

"Nice to know maturity doesn't always improve with age," he murmurs to me. "Kaepora's something like sixty years old,"

"Oh, that's nothing," I smirk. "There's a set of triplets in the forest who're more than a century older than me. And they're plenty immature. There's a fifty-year-old Kokiri who spends his days walking around on a pair of stilts and dressing up like a wizard,"

Morgan laughs. "That's just amazing, that is. You people live forever and yet you look and act like ten-year-olds,"

"Not necessarily forever," I correct. "If we don't get sick and we don't hurt ourselves or anything, we live for aaages. But when a Kokiri starts getting too old, they just…you know, disappear. We're really not sure where they go."

"That's depressing," the Horonian mutters. "So, how old are you?"

"Oh, Nayru. I'm a baby by Kokiri standards. I'm exactly as old as I look."

He raises an eyebrow. "Man, sometimes I wonder what Farore was thinking when she made you guys. Children that never grow up. Exactly what the world needed,"

"We paid for it, though," I say quietly. "I don't know how many of the Kokiri are still alive. There…there was a massive fire, and…well…"

I sniff, trying not to cry because crying is stupid. And it makes me look stupid. Immediately, Morgan suddenly tugs me close and hugs me.

"Hey, kiddo. Cheer up. I'm sure they're fine. You said they're centuries old. They'll know how to take care of themselves, right?"

I drag a hand across my eyes, and then Volvagia scampers up and whines, headbutting my leg.

"I hope so," I murmur quietly. "I sure hope so."

[/]{INTERLUDE-SARIA}[\\\\\\\\\\]

When Saria dragged open her aching eyes- she hadn't even known it was possible for eyes to hurt- the only thing she could see was what looked to be a canvas tent, the likes of which the Kokiri sometimes used after Deku Night, when the tree-people came out.

She groaned and propped herself up on one elbow, looking around.

"Kiri?" she rasped. "Kiri! Navi?"

The two fairies moved into her vision.

"Oh, my gods, I was so scared!" wailed Kiri. "We have to go back to the woods right now!"

"The woods…" Saria murmured, trying to think. "The woods? What? No! We have to find Link!"

"Leave him!" snapped Kiri, at the exact same time as Navi said;

"Yeah, Kiri!"

The two fairies, pink and blue, glared at eachother.

"Saria and Mido are not risking their lives for him! He's tough enough to make it on his own!"

"Would he leave Saria out there?" Navi screamed in response, tiny blue fists clenched.

"How about Saria and Mido make their own decisions?" Saria snapped, catching a fairy in either hand. "Shut up! Both of you!"

The fairies stopped.

"Navi, where was Link when you last saw him?"

"I don't know," Navi said quietly. "Maybe a day or two…I think west of where you were when I found you. Where are we now?"

"A good question," Kiri muttered. "After you guys all decided on an impromptu nap, Mido managed to attract the attention of some random travellers nearby. There were a lot of them, so I hid in Mido's hood. You never know when someone might try and catch you for rupees,"

"Can you take a peek outside?" Saria asked. "You're small, so you might go unnoticed."

Kiri pouted. "Why can't Navi do it? She's blue, so she'll blend in with all the snow."

"Kiri! Isn't your whole job to protect me?" Saria snapped. "You're doing a pretty crappy job of it right now!"

Kiri growled.

"Fine!" she snapped, fluttering into the air and out of the tent. Saria turned to Navi.

"How…" she asked quietly. "How is he? Is he okay?"

Navi looked down.

"I don't know," she said miserably. "When I left him, Zelda was using a wheelbarrow to cart him around. I think he broke his ankle in the fire,"

Saria closed her eyes.

"Oh, my gods," she groaned, taking several deep breaths. "I…at least he's alive, I suppose. What about Zelda?"

"Not a scratch on the bitch," Navi said with sudden aggression. "Stupid cow got out of the fire scot-free."

"Hmph," Saria said crossly. "Where's karma when you need it?"

"Coffee break, evidently," Navi growled. "I hope she-"

"There are deer on two legs!"

Kiri exploded back into the tent, eyes wide. "Deer! On two legs!"

"What?" Saria said in disbelief. And then the tent flap opened.

"You awake?" said a rather childish voice. Saria flinched, the two fairies hiding behind her. The sound of hooves clopping, and then someone stepped into the tent.

Short and stubby, with tall antlers scything from her hair. White-blonde hair tied in thick plaits. Dressed in furs and rough cotton.

It was a deer on two legs. Saria honestly couldn't think of any other way to describe her. The girl's deer ears flapped.

"Oh! You are awake. That's great!"

She clopped over, holding out one enormous hand covered in soft white fur. "I'm Rika. Nice to meet you."

Saria blinked.

"S-Saria," she stammered. "You…you're a deer,"

"Anouki," Rika corrected, busying herself at one side of the tent, in front of a massive pot. Saria took the opportunity to get a better look at the deer lady- Anouki. Her face seemed mostly human, with a large black nose. She had strange eyes; dark, like a doe's, but with an icy-blue iris.

"Here," Rika said, holding out an enormous pottery bowl. "Have some stew. It's our specialty. It'll have you on your feet in no time,"

Saria took the offered bowl. She hesitated a moment- she hadn't been given a spoon or anything- before lifting the bowl to her mouth.

She had never tasted anything like it. It was warm, and there were little chewy bits in it that tasted strangely good.

"What's in this?" Saria asked. Navi and Kiri simultaneously jabbed her in the back and she jumped.

"Oh, a little of this, a little of that. Mostly beef, with a bit of our special wild boar thrown in."

Saria stared.

"This…it's…"

Rika tilted her head before her eyes widened.

"Oh," she said. "Please don't tell me you're vegetarian,"

Saria nodded, setting the bowl down and staring at it like it had teeth. Rika snatched up the bowl.

"Uh," the Anouki blinked, "is your friend vegetarian too?"

Saria nodded.

"Oh. I'm…I'm going to go tell Aroo. Give me a second,"

She turned and raced out of a tent.

"Aroo!" she yelled. "Don't give the kid the stew! They're ve- whoa, Aroo, what happened to you? Is that…is that puke on your hooves?"

Saria heard a whiny male voice.

"I gave the kid the stew," said Aroo miserably. "I don't think he liked it."

[/]{END OF INTERLUDE}[\\\\\\\\\\]

We watch as Kaepora Gaebora flies into the distance.

"I'm surprised he can still fly, honestly," Seres mutters. "He got hit with an orphica and he's still going? Tough old owl,"

Zelda hops down from the windowsill.

"On that note, I think it's time for us to go," she says. I look at Morgan, dismayed, before I remember.

Oh. Right. Saving village here. Probably more important than making a mate.

Volvagia squawks, and I stoop and pick him up, balancing the snake-like dragon over one shoulder.

"Thanks," I say warmly. "For everything."

Morgan tilts his head.

"Don't mention it, kiddo," he smiles.

"Oh," I say suddenly, reaching into my pouch. "Almost forgot. Here, this is yours,"

I dig out A Study of Species and hold it out. He waves me off.

"Keep it. It's not a library book, and I can easily buy another copy,"

"Are you sure?" I frown.

"It's yours. If you're going to be travelling around Hyrule, you're probably going to need it, too. It's got a lot of information about monsters as well, not just sentient species,"

I hug the book to my chest, mentally noting to read the page about Lizalfos later.

"Is there anything we can do for you?" Seres asks, concerned. "I doubt it's safe for you two to go alone,"

I'm suddenly reminded of the Deku Tree.

'Tis dangerous to go alone.

Zelda frowns.

"Have you got a weapon of some description I could use?" she asks. "Link has his sword, but that's all. I'm basically defenceless,"

"Might have something in the display room," Morgan says. "I'll go check. Any preferences?"

"I can use a bow and a rapier pretty well, and I'm sort of decent with those Labrynnan flintlocks," she responds. "Impa insisted on training me."

The Horonian nods, ducking through the aisles. I hear the scrape of my sword and turn to see Seres pulling it out of the sheath.

"Hey!" I say.

She taps it with a nail, investigating the crest on it.

"This is an interesting blade," she says. "Gerudo make, if I'm not mistaken. Quite old, though. They've changed the way they forge these knives."

"What's a Gerudo?" I ask, and Seres taps A Study of Species.

"Page 372, if I remember correctly," she instructs. I balance the book on one arm- Volvagia helpfully reaches out to steady it- and flick through until I reach the page labelled Gerudo.

The proud denizens of the desert, the Gerudo people differ from most races in that their race consists almost entirely of women. These female warriors are stereotyped as cold-hearted thieves; however, many Gerudo are honourable and trustworthy people. Male Gerudo are considered a blessing from the goddesses; usually these males appear once every century. It has been noted before for some male individuals to be born between these times; however, this is thought to be because of an oddity in the union between the parents. Because of this lack of males, Gerudo women are often forced to interbreed with Hylians, a relationship that always results in a Gerudo child, never a Hylian.

Gerudo are characterised by dark skin and fiery red hair, as well as rounded ears. The most common eye colour of the Gerudo is gold; only a select few individuals have eyes of a different colour.

I look up.

"Whoa," I say. "Badass desert ladies. So, they made my sword? I was told that sword was my mother's,"

Seres smiles.

"Then she must have been an impressive woman. Either she was on good terms with the Gerudo, and this knife was given to her…or she was just that good, and managed to steal one."

I hug the sword to my chest. I want to know more! I want to know everything about my mother. Where did she come from? Who's my dad? And how did I end up in that forest as a Kokiri?

Seres smiles gently, kneeling down and hugging me.

"You're too cute," she says, careful of the sword I'm still holding. She looks at me, staring at me. I shift uncomfortably.

"That girl you mentioned," she says suddenly. "The one I reminded you of,"

"Saria?" I ask uncertainly. Seres nods.

"That's her. Can…can you describe what she looks like?"

I tilt my head.

"I guess so…" I answer. "She's taller than me, though that doesn't say much. Her hair is short and green, like yours, except hers is cut in a sort of bob cut that curls back under her ears. Uh…she has really pretty blue eyes, and big bat-like ears."

I think over Saria in my head, and Seres nods.

"Okay…" she murmurs. "If you see her at any stage…can you bring her to me?"

I frown.

"Why?" I ask. "Why are you so interested in Saria?"

It's at this point that Morgan- like an idiot- cuts off the conversation.

"I found some stuff," he says informatively. Seres seizes the distraction.

"Good job, Morgan," she says approvingly. "This is why I pay you,"

"Yeah? With all today's garbage, you don't pay me enough," he murmurs under his breath. Seres' eyes narrow.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!"

Zelda laughs and takes the rapier Morgan offers her. It's a bit long for her, though.

"Gah," she says. "I hate being so tiny."

Morgan flicks his hair out of his face, holding out the single weirdest thing I have ever seen. I…I don't even know what the hell it is.

"I'm not sure if this still shoots, and I would advise you not to try it in here," he says as Zelda takes the thing.

"What even is that?" I ask. Zelda holds it out.

"A weapon some Labrynnan nerd invented," she says. "You know what a bomb is, right? Well, this guy used the stuff inside a bomb to make this; it shoots out little balls of metal, called bullets."

I blink, and Zelda rolls her eyes.

"It's called a flintlock, and it kills things," she deadpans, clearly dumb-ing it down.

"Ah. Why couldn't you say that the first time?"

"I didn't think I had to," she says disdainfully. "You Kokiri need to get out more,"

"The sad part is that I'm not sure if you're joking or not,"

"I was."

"Your sarcastic voice needs work,"

"I know."

Seres snickers and for a second I see Saria standing in her place.

"I hate to be so informal, your majesty, but you are both quite funny,"

Zelda shakes her head.

"You wait until you see some of the garbage Link here does. He pretended to eat someone for a play in the woods,"

Morgan raises an eyebrow.

"What play was this?" he asks sceptically.

"The Moon Child. You know, with the monster kidnapping the North Star and the Moon goes out in grief. I got to be the monster,"

He snorts.

"I just had a mental image of you eating someone and I need a minute," he giggles. Seres sighs.

"I…I also want to give you something else," she says. She bustles off to behind the front desk, and Volvagia crawl-slithers down my side after her. There's a yowling wail from upstairs, and Morgan stops his giggling at once, head flicking around at lightning speed.

"Bee," he says, and with a hand gesture that I take to mean excuse me he takes off up the stairs. His voice drifts down from his daughter's room.

"I'm sorry, kitten. Daddy's here. I was just downstairs. Someone very special is down there!"

Seres is scraping something into a satchel. She straightens and, walking back over, offers the bag. "Have these, your majesty,"

Zelda peers into the bag, and I peek over her shoulder. It's rupees- and a lot. This must have been the Library's entire stash.

"I-I can't let you give these to us!" I stammer in protest. "Thank you for the offer, but you should keep them!"

"You need them more than we do," Seres runs a hand through her hair. "I'm of no use in combat, and although Morgan can fight he needs to be here for his daughter."

Zelda hesitates.

"Without prying…uh…"

Seres seems to understand immediately.

"It wasn't considered taboo by either the Horonians or the Remlit," she explains. Zelda frowns at the mention of Remlit. "In Holodrum, it is considered an important rite of passage that can be carried out the moment a boy's voice deepens to that of a man. To the Remlit, there is no significance attached at all to the act, and so neither Morgan nor his wife Niska saw anything wrong with what they had done,"

"Why did he come to Hyrule then? It is common knowledge that Hylians are…strict, on purity of marriage." Zelda asks.

Seres frowns. "I..I don't think it is my place to just spout off his personal problems. If you really want to know, your highness, I will, but I'd rather not."

Zelda looks slightly disappointed, but doesn't push the issue.

"Okay. It's your choice,"

"Thank you," says Seres gratefully. "Suffice to say, it ended with him being disowned."

I raise my hand. "Sorry to interrupt, but…disowned?"

"It's something parents can do to their children…when they don't love them," Zelda says sadly. "It's the parents saying that their children aren't considered their children. That they want nothing to do with them and that they have no place in their hearts anymore."

I blink several times in rapid shock, a lump in my throat. "Who…who does that?"

I try to imagine Naraku, the faceless woman who is my mother, and try to imagine being pushed away like that. She had no choice, the second I entered the woods I was lost to her. But to actually willingly abandon your child? I may know nothing about parenthood, but it sickens me.

"That's exactly what happened." Seres murmurs. "He remained with Niska for another year, but Niska now lives in Castle Town, studying magic. Morgan works with me to support them both."

She looks towards the stairs.

"He still keeps a painting of his family in his room, even though he knows there is no chance they'll ever take him back. He tries so hard not to show it…but it really affects him. The one thing he longs for beyond anything else is a family. One that isn't despised and cast out. And that is the one thing he can't have."

* * *

**A/N: Oh man. I'm sorry I don't update too frequently. Moving house is a pain in the butt. And turns out the internet is rubbish where I've moved to. And my computer runs on Chrome OS, which is almost entirely dependent on the internet. Dangit. Anyway, here's the chapter. Have some info dump on Morgan!**

**Reviews were kinda sad last chapter. Can I get some more, pretty please? **

**TheLegendaryZero:**Hmm...I don't think I can work in that guy yet, but there might be a spot for him in a future story in the Ballad of Arialk. He's currently in my head warring it out with Hyrule Warriors' Linkle for the spot. Thanks for the suggestion!

**Review please, everyone! I'd like to hear if this was okayish, especially the backstory of Morgan. There's lots more to it! I'm not going to blurt everything in one paragraph! See ya!**

**-Inky**


	16. Hylia Birds

**chapter fifteen**

**Hylia Birds**

I knock gently on the door to Morgan's room, and there's a quizzical 'hmm?' from inside. I peek through the door.

"Morgan?" I ask gently. He beckons me in, making a shushing hand gesture. Beatrice is curled on his lap, head on his shoulder. To the side is an abandoned near-empty bowl of what is perhaps mashed up pears, or maybe apples. I tiptoe in and sit gently beside him, looking at the toddler girl snuggled against him. It's hard to imagine anything more natural and beautiful than this sight. I look around the room. Two beds, one neatly set. The other, we're sitting on, and there is a soft, well-loved stuffed rabbit doll tucked next to the pillow. On the wall alongside what is clearly Morgan's neat bed are a pair of swords with the blades wrapped up safely. They look rather fancy, from what is visible of them, and I wonder if he can actually fight with them. The window beside us has its curtains drawn, and on the wall above the door is a flaking painting, depicting a tough-looking, dark-haired man with a whiskery smile, a short but thin woman with flowing brown hair and silver-grey eyes, and a younger Morgan. His hair isn't violet-tipped, and he isn't wearing glasses. I immediately wonder why he needs them.

Morgan catches me looking at the painting.

"My parents and I," he says stiffly. "We…we're not on speaking terms."

My heart clenches with empathy for this lost-looking young man. I debate telling him what Seres told us. Instead, I gently hug him and his daughter, who purrs softly. Morgan smiles wryly, pushing his glasses back up his nose with a free hand.

"Let me guess; Seres told you about my family,"

I don't insult his intelligence by denying it. He sighs.

"So loose-tongued, she is," he says, a mixture of dismay and acceptance in his voice. "She really had no right to tell you,"

"I'm sorry," I say meekly. Morgan sighs.

"I couldn't say I didn't regret the whole affair," he admits. "But Bee and Niska are worth every bit,"

He nods his head to the wall behind us, and I turn to see another painting. Morgan, complete with glasses, beside a Remlit woman. She has a fine-boned, angular face, her whole body covered with creamy brown fur. Her eyes are a stunning green, and long golden hair tied in two tails on either side of her head. She balances a baby Beatrice on her hip.

"That's Niska."

"I figured," I grin at him, dropping the smile as I realise he isn't returning it.

Okay. Uh, where do I go from here?

"Morgan," I say carefully. "I wanted to give you something."

He raises an eyebrow, and I dig into my pouch and pull out the seed that the Great Deku Tree gave me before the competition to reach his branches.

"You probably already know what this is, right?"

"Deku seed," he answers immediately, looking bemused.

I nod. "I was given this by the Great Deku Tree, and I was supposed to break it if I needed help during a competition I was in. I got Zelda and Seres to do some of their hoodoo on it. If…if you ever need my help, no matter when, all you have to do is crush the seed, and I'll be able to hear you through this,"

I hold up my ocarina. "It'll play a note by itself when you crush the seed, and if I play the same note back it'll bring me to you,"

I realise I probably wouldn't be able to help much as I am, but with all this Hero bull everyone's heaping on me…it has to be worth something, right?

Morgan takes the seed, staring at it.

"Thank you," he says, something odd in his voice. "Really…thank you,"

He slips the seed into the pocket of his slightly-too-small jacket, and turns to me.

"It's no big deal," I answer, and he smiles gratefully.

"Maybe to you," he says warmly. "But I doubt any other parent can promise their child that the Hero of Hyrule himself will come to save her if she's in danger,"

I laugh. "Just make sure she doesn't break it to show off to her friends,"

There's another tap on the door, and Zelda sticks her head inside.

"Link? We were going to leave now…"

Morgan looks at her, and then stands, looping his arms under Beatrice to support her.

"I…I realise you've done more than enough for me," he says hesitantly, "but could I ask one more favour, your highness? And you too, Link?"

"What can we do?" asks Zelda immediately. "If it's within my current power, I'll do it,"

He brushes a strand of dark hair from his daughter's face.

"Could you…could you possibly give my daughter your blessing?" he stammers. "I understand that you usually don't do blessings until you are queen, your highness…but I doubt an opportunity like this will come around again,"

"You want _me _to pray for your child?" I ask quizzically. "The goddesses hate me. They'll probably hit her with lightning just to piss us off,"

"No they won't," sighs Zelda, walking closer. "You are always welcome in Hyrule Castle, Morgan. And please… just call me Zelda."

Morgan beams and gently scratches his daughter's cat-like ears.

"Hey Bee," he murmurs. "Someone very special is here to see you!"

Bee mumbles something intelligible that sounds suspiciously like _mama?_

"No," Morgan laughs lightly. "Even more special! It's the _princess!_ And the hero too!"

Her electric green eyes widen, and she looks around, eyes fixing on Zelda and I. She beams and gurgles something ending with a meow. Morgan sets her on the bed and she kicks her tiny toes happily. I laugh.

"Aww, hello," I reach out my arm and hesitate, looking to Morgan, but he nods, so I scratch around her ears. "You are a very special girl, you know?"

She pokes me, and I get the feeling she doesn't understand a word I'm saying but I keep talking anyway.

"You have a very special daddy. He's a very brave man. Braver than me!"

Morgan huffs his disagreement.

Zelda leans forward.

"Hello, Beatrice. I'm Zelda! Not many little girls get to say they've met the princess, and you get to,"

The Remlit girl gives an adorable toothless smile and I feel my heart melting with the cuteness.

"And you get to have a blessing too! Isn't that special?"

Beatrice beams even wider, and Zelda places a hand on her head, pausing, probably trying to remember what she's supposed to say now. Morgan scrambles for a quill, ink and parchment, balancing them on his knee.

"Morgan," she asks, "what's your family name?"

"Marethyu," he says. "I still go by my father's name,"

After a few silent, slightly awkward moments Zelda straightens and looks back at the little girl, clearly remembering the words. Morgan sits ready to write down the blessing.

"May the Goddesses always watch over you, little Beatrice Marethyu, and protect you from all harm. May the wind be always at your back, the sun always warm your face, the rain wash away all sorrow…"

She pauses, thinking.

"May you always find the wisdom to know what is right, the courage to act on it, and the power to withstand those who will cast you down for it. May Hylia shield you from all misfortune under her great wings, and may you always be loved and cared for by those around you."

Beatrice reaches up and holds Zelda's wrist, and the blonde smiles. I have never seen her smile so genuinely. She tickles Beatrice's hand and then steps back, looking to me.

"Uh," I say, "I don't have any fancy words for you, Beatrice. But you should know that you need to make the most of the world around you. You never know when it will all fall out from underneath you. Don't waste your time on stupid things. Choose friends and family over everything else. Some people don't have a family. You do, and you should love them just as much as they love you, because your family is the most beautiful thing in the world. It doesn't matter what other people say. They'll call you names. They'll pull your tail and pinch your ears. Ignore them. Because let's be honest, that tail is cool. It makes you special. You're a very special little girl, and I want you to promise me that you'll always know it. Your dad loves you very much and I want you to love him back. Love him twice as much. He's gone through a lot for you and you'll never even know it. So every time someone pushes you or taunts you or insults your mum and dad…stand up proud, because you should be proud of everything they are and everything _you _are. Never forget that."

_/\\_|(O)|_/\\_

Hyrule Field seems a great deal warmer with Volvagia around my shoulders, gently radiating warmth. Zelda is searching the ground as we walk, eventually straightening with a withered plant in her hands. For some reason, she puts it to her mouth and blows on it. Nothing happens except the stupid sound of blowing a raspberry. She scowls.

"Dammit. I didn't think this through," she says crossly.

"Think what through?" I ask. She huffs.

"This is hawk grass," she says, holding up the withered plant. "Usually if you blow on each of these blades, it sounds off like playing a reed flute, and that was how we were supposed to call Morrigan. But it's winter! So all the hawk grass is dead or withered."

"What song does it play?" I ask, going for my ocarina. Zelda brightens.

"Oh, I didn't think of that," she grins. "It goes like this,"

She whistles a tune, and I fumble it after her on the ocarina. It's quite a nice tune, actually, and I play it again just because I want to. Before long, the giant red bird that is Morrigan drops out of the clouds, swooping down and flaring his wings out to land lightly in front of us. Tatl rolls off his back and plops onto the ground.

"I...hate you..." she coughs at Morrigan. I swear he grins.

_You were annoying me. Karma is cruel, isn't it? _

I laugh, moving forward to scratch the bird, and that's when he sees Volvagia and backs up skittishly.

_Okay, what gives? What the hell is that? _he caws. I pull the floppy dragon from my shoulder and hold him out.

"Volvagia, this is Morrigan. Morrigan, this is Volvagia. Morrigan, do not eat Volvagia. Volvagia,, do not eat Morrigan."

There is a moment of silence while the two stare at eachother; Morrigan with a malevolent glare and Volvagia blinking innocently. The moment is broken by Zelda giggling.

"Sorry!" she waves a hand as both parties glare at her. "You look like a freaking pair of dogs,"

Morrigan looks affronted.

_Did she just compare me to a dog?_

"Better believe it," I grin, letting Volvagia scramble back onto my shoulders. Morrigan huffs.

_How rude, _he remarks. _Where is the Useless Bird Flight Service taking you today?_

"Aww," I scrub my hand through his feathers affectionately. "You're not useless,"

_Do I serve a purpose other than ferrying you places? _he says, and I stop. There was bite in that sentence.

"O-of course," I say in surprise. The bird tilts his head.

_Really? I don't seem to be doing much else._

"Come on!" I protest. "You've literally flown me to one town! I met you less than a week ago! Or is this that bullcrap _we have met before _rubbish?"

Zelda and Tatl look bewildered as Morrigan fluffs his feathers angrily and I try not to copy the sentiment.

_No, actually! _he snaps. _In fact, the last Link was a much better owner! He didn't just treat me like a convenient travel device; I was his friend!_

"You're my friend too!"

_You just told me we met less than a week ago! We haven't done anything to be friends! You haven't even tried to learn anything about me!_

I take a deep breath, forcing myself to remember Mila's little tutorials on anger management.

"Well...what is your favourite colour?"

There is a pause.

_Did you...what?_

"Do..." Zelda ventures. "Do you want me to leave you two alone?"

"Yeah, thanks. Might need a few," I respond. "I asked your favourite colour,"

Morrigan stops to think.

_Maybe...blue? _he says, sounding like he's skeptical of his answer.

"Like the sky?" I prompt, and then try not to laugh as _yellow _pops into my head.

_No. A lighter blue, like my mate's feathers._

I smile. "That's so sweet,"

_What is your favourite? Green?_

"No, actually," I admit as Zelda and Tatl wander away, and Volvagia skitters off my shoulders to pursue them. "There's so much green in the forest it's kind of a boring colour to me. Maybe red?"

_Like me?_ Morrigan asks with a bit of humour in his voice.

"A little richer, maybe," I say airily.

_Richer? _he says, affronted. _My feathers are- oh. Never mind. I just saw my feathers. I swear they used to be brighter. Really._

"I believe you," I grin, happy he's calming down. "Being ancient will do that to you. Soo… uh...what do you like to eat?"

_Pumpkin, _answers the bird immediately. _Where I spent most of my life, people grew pumpkin right up to the rooftops. I used to get in loads of trouble for eating people's harvests._

I laugh. "I like this snack Makar sells. It's bread, but toasted over a tiny fire and coated in honey. It tastes amazing,"

_You'll have to let me try some one day, _he says. _It sounds nice._

"Your turn!" I poke him before I start getting upset again, because I don't need that right now.

_Hmm...Gimme a minute… _he muses. _Do you like to read?_

"Not really," I admit. "We met a guy in Lochmede- he's nice, I think you'd like him-and he gave me a book to borrow. Here,"

I stick my hand in my pouch, rummaging around and pulling out the book by the front cover, showing it to him.

_Ooh, _he twitters. _Is my species in there?_

"What's it called?"

_Hylia Birds, or maybe Loftwings._

I flip through the book at random, unable to find it.

_Look in the Contents page, _he suggests.

Oh. Right.

I flip back to the front and trace a hand down the page. Loftwings, page 379. I flip through to the page and am immediately greeted with a fine-lined image of a bird very like Morrigan.

"Hey, look here!"

He cranes his neck in to see it.

_Loftwings are an incredibly rare, ancient species of bird believed to have once been used as mounts before the discovery of horses, _he reads. _With spectacularly coloured plumage, these birds are now used in the Crest of Hyrule, the crest of the Royal family, and the emblem of the Hero of Hyrule._

"Dammit," I complain. "They had to bring that up,"

Ignoring me, Morrigan continues. "_A golden-hued symbol with sweeping wings symbolises the country, blue or lilac with a double-pronged tail signifies the Royal family, and a symmetrical scarlet design is the icon associated with the hero. " Hmmph. I should like to think that they use red. "The colours are thought to symbolise three Loftwings of the Era of the First Hero, whose stories are well traced through many ancient songs and stories. The first, Delta, who was known as the Golden Thunder…" Rubbish. I remember Delta. She was a moron. Likeable, but dumb as rocks._

"Keep reading!" I say, intrigued. He huffs.

"_Delta was known for being a protecter over the people of Ancient Hyrule." Yeah, because she was too dumb to get out of the way. _

"_The second bird, Zeffa, was the bird of the ancient ancestor to the Royal Family, respelndant with stunning blue feathers." Hey, it's her!_

"I thought you said her name was Storm," I frown. He winces.

_I'm several thousand years old. I don't even remember my own name. Cut me some slack._

"First of all, Storm sounds nothing like Zeffa," I point out. "Second, how did you remember Delta but not your own mate? And third, I thought you said you birds don't have names, or you share them with your rider, or whatever."

He scowls.

'_First of all' the ancient Hylian word for 'storm' is 'zepho', which sounds a lot like Zeffa. To the second, Delta is impossible to forget. She's like feather mites. _

"What about the name thing?"

_We don't have names. Didn't stop our riders giving them to us._

"Fair enough," I give up. He sounds like he's done a complete about-face from what he was saying before. "Keep reading."

"_Zeffa was the strongest Loftwing in all the legends, able to battle a Great Keese (pg. 383) while airborne and carrying a rider. She was dedicated to the ancestor of the current Hylian Royal Family, and thus has become the symbol of them today. _

"_The third and final Loftwing mentioned in the tales was..."…Kaion?_

"Is that you?" I ask anxiously. He's lost in thought, staring at his left foot.

_The name...it sounds very familiar. Yes, I would say it is mine._

"Do you like Kaion? Do you like it more than Morrigan?"

_...Yes. I think so… _he says slowly.

"Do you want me to call you that?" I say gently. He flexes the talons on his apparently intruiging foot.

_Only if you want to, _he responds.

"I think I should," I smile. "It is your real name, no?"

_Okay. It...it is nice to have my name back. I had forgotten it long ago._

I paw at the book. "I'll read the rest."

"_Kaion, also called the Scarlet Scourge, was the last of the race of Crimson Loftwings, and was dedicated to the first Hero. Kaion was the swiftest and most agile bird, said to have been able to flip upside-down and snatch a tiny statue from between the claws of a second bird not once, not twice, but three times in a row, while carrying a rider. The first Hero painted a symbol of his loyal bird on his sheild; since the artifact was discovered in Hylia Prime, all Hylian knights have carried an identical sheild. The Loftwing is one of Hyrule's most symbolic animals, and it is a great shame that their race's current whereabouts are unknown, if they are even still alive."_

I lean against Morri- Kaion. Kaion. Get it _right, _Link. I mentally wail. So many names…. my brain is going to burst…

He hums quietly.

_I must thank this friend of yours, _he says softly. _It has been a long time since I have heard my own name._

"I don't think you should be introduced," I grin. Mo- damnit, Kaion- tilts his head.

_Why not?_

"He's quite the fan. His head might explode. Like a watermelon,"

There is a pause.

_Did you have to say that? That imagery will never ever leave my head._

* * *

**Review Responses:**

**StarryMoon33: ****He is quite an annoying owl, isn't he! I won't lie, I would hit Kaepora Gaebora with an orphica any day!**

**Read and review! Thanks so much!**

**-Inky**


	17. ANNOUNCEMENT

**A/N: Hey guys. I hate to be a pain in the butt but I realised something rather important when I was re-reading this fic. I may or may not have left out some rather important information from some of the earlier chapters. Without it, later parts of the fic make absolutely no sense, and I legit have to re-write. I'm so sorry to do this to you! **

**There'll be some seriously drastic changes, especially in the Kokiri Forest scenes, and some improved character development. Don't take anything from this first draft as being true in the new one because it might well have changed. You can find the new The Shadehand Compass by clicking here ( **** s/12054366/1/The-Shadehand-Compass )****! I'm so, so sorry guys! Please read and review the new story!**

**-Inky**


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